After a much-hyped Wednesday segment of “The Kelly File” was temporarily removed from the Fox News website on Thursday, the channel released a statement to TPM blaming it on an “error in judgment” by one of its producers.
The segment in question was an interview with an anonymous source who claimed to have attended the same mosque as an Oklahoma man accused of beheading one former coworker and injuring another in a gruesome attack last month. The source went by the name “Noor.”
CNN media correspondent Brian Stelter was the first to note on Thursday that Fox appeared to have scrubbed references to the segment, including video, from its website and social media accounts. But on Thursday afternoon, the video returned to the site.
TPM received a statement afterward from Tom Lowell, executive producer of “The Kelly File,” who explained why the segment had temporarily disappeared.
“‘Noor’ knowingly agreed to appear on The Kelly File in silhouette and was given the option to disguise his voice, which he chose not to do. Following the interview, ‘Noor’ expressed apprehension about his voice not being disguised and in response, a producer removed the video out of concern for the guest’s personal safety . This was an error in judgment. Once management was made aware of the situation, the video was put back up in its original form.”
The segment was based on an interview with an anonymous man, shrouded in darkness, who claimed to have attended the same mosque as alleged killer Alton Nolen. The source claimed the Oklahoma mosque secretly promoted “jihad,” supported bombing Israel, and discussed possible visits from Osama bin Laden.
“If you watch nothing else tonight, watch this segment,” host Megyn Kelly told viewers on Wednesday evening.
That same night, Kelly responded to viewers’ feedback on Twitter, promising a “follow up” on the explosive story Thursday evening.
