Chris Farrell, the director of investigations and research at Judicial Watch, the conservative activist group, will no longer appear as a guest on Fox News or Fox Business Network, a spokesperson for the networks confirmed to TPM Sunday.
The blacklisting followed the re-airing Saturday of a Thursday interview between Farrell and Fox Business Network’s Lou Dobbs. In the interview, a clip of which went viral Saturday after the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre, Farrell described the State Department as “Soros-occupied” and said George Soros was indirectly paying migrants and asylum seekers traveling toward the U.S.-Mexico Border. The comment was widely seen as an anti-Semitic dog whistle.
Straight out of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Just moments ago, Lou Dobbs guest Chris Farrell (head of Judicial Watch) says Caravan is being funded/directed by the "Soros-occupied State Department". pic.twitter.com/QBSong7uk1
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) October 27, 2018
“We condemn the rhetoric by the guest on Lou Dobbs Tonight,” Fox Business Network’s senior vice president of programming, Gary Schreier, said in a statement shared with TPM Sunday. “This episode was a repeat which has now been pulled from all future airings.”
The Fox News spokesperson told TPM that Schreier had “confirmed Farrell will no longer be booked on FBN [Fox Business Network] or FNC [Fox News Channel].
Soros — the liberal philanthropist and donor, and a frequent target of right-wing conspiracy mongering and anti-Semitism — was the first of many critics of President Donald Trump’s to receive a pipe bomb in the mail in recent days; the bombs never exploded and their alleged sender, Cesar Sayoc, was arrested Friday.
Judicial Watch did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
CNN’s Oliver Darcy first reported the blacklisting Sunday. He pointed out separately that both Farrell and Dobbs have a history of vilifying Soros.
Of note: This is not the first time this particular guest has talked about the “Soros occupied” State Department. He made a similar comment earlier this year in May. pic.twitter.com/LQ3DI0cPRh
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) October 28, 2018
Here is some of @LouDobbs rhetoric on Soros. He calls him an “evil SOB” and “insidious.” He also promotes various Soros-related conspiracies. pic.twitter.com/vXgSVz9Xa7
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) October 28, 2018
