A reporter who published sexual harassment allegations about Fox News host Eric Bolling said on Wednesday that Bolling filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against him.
Yashar Ali, a reporter for the Huffington Post, on Wednesday said he “received a summons” related to Bolling’s suit against him for “defamation” and “$50 million in damages.”
Bolling has been suspended indefinitely following the report.
Just received a summons. Eric Bolling is suing me for defamation – $50 million in damages. I stand by my reporting + will protect my sources
— Yashar Ali (@yashar) August 9, 2017
It's important to note that Bolling's summons does not include HuffPost – he is coming after me personally. I'm a big boy…but very telling https://t.co/nvludsIV87
— Yashar Ali (@yashar) August 9, 2017
Not going to stop reporting on Eric Bolling or anyone else. I've had family members killed/jailed in Iran, a lawsuit isn't going to scare me https://t.co/nvludsIV87
— Yashar Ali (@yashar) August 9, 2017
Here's @ericbolling's lawsuit against @yashar. pic.twitter.com/QNvM2Jkkul
— Tom Kludt (@TomKludt) August 9, 2017
Bolling on Monday said he would “continue to fight against these false smear attacks.”
I will continue to fight against these false smear attacks! THANK YOU FOR CONTINUED SUPPORT
— Eric Bolling (@ericbolling) August 9, 2017
A Fox News spokesperson told TPM the investigation into Bolling is still ongoing.
Ali on Friday published a report citing at least a dozen unnamed sources linked to Fox News and Fox Business who confirmed allegations that Bolling sent unsolicited text messages with photos of male genitalia to at least three of his colleagues.
Fox News on Saturday announced Bolling’s indefinite suspension “pending the results of an investigation” by Paul Weiss, the same law firm that investigated allegations of sexual harassment against former Fox chairman Roger Ailes and former host Bill O’Reilly, who both left the network.
“I look forward to clearing my name asap,” Bolling tweeted on Monday.
The firm defending Bolling — Kasowitz, Benson and Torres LLP — boasts one of President Donald Trump’s personal lawyers as a founding partner. Marc Kasowitz joined Trump’s outside legal team in May to help him navigate the federal investigation into potential collusion between his campaign officials and Russia.
Kasowitz was Trump’s longtime private attorney and has been one of his chief weapons to intimidate and threaten the press, threatening the New York Times in October 2016 with a lawsuit for a report on women who accused Trump of sexual assault (the paper responded that it would “welcome the opportunity,” and a lawsuit never materialized).
Read the summons: