A political purge at Fox News?

First Matt Drudge got into a tussle with Fox News management. Then he
quit his popular weekly TV show. Then, in a biting column on his
website, he took on the
network with which he is still affiliated, characterizing it, along with
CNN, MSNBC and others, part of a globalist media complex.

Yesterday, Judicial Watch Chairman Larry Klayman, a frequent guest on the network, jumped
into the fray — accusing Fox News, which prides itself as “the fair and
balanced” TV news alternative, of a pro-establishment bias against
conservatives.

Klayman was incensed by a report last night by Fox News host Bill
O’Reilly, who cited an article by Harvey Berkman of the National Law
Journal questioning Judicial Watch’s fund-raising techniques. Klayman
had agreed to go on the program to address questions raised by the
article, but only on the condition that Fox not jump the gun and report
on the allegations prior to his appearance.

Yesterday morning, Fox began promoting O’Reilly’s segment on reputed
financial “shenanigans” at Judicial Watch. Later, on the show, O’Reilly
interviewed Jonathan Turley of the George Washington Law School on the
topic of how non-profits raise and spend their money. The host claimed
both Berkman and Klayman refused to be interviewed on the subject — a
statement Klayman flatly refutes.

“I agreed to be on,” Klayman said. “My only requirement was that they
not broadcast the accusations against me until I was there to tell my
side of the story.”

O’Reilly has been challenging Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow Coalition
organization to itemize where its money comes from and how it is spent.
He billed the segment on Judicial Watch as a way of balancing his
criticism. However, as O’Reilly pointed out, Judicial Watch has released
a 56-page financial statement to Fox and the general public. Jackson’s
organization refuses to release details of its budget even to state and
federal government officials.

Klayman calls O’Reilly’s report a violation of journalistic ethics
and its agreement with Judicial Watch: “Fox News, which has been under
attack in the elite establishment media, and by the Clinton White House,
now appears to be reacting to the severe criticism in the elite
establishment media of its past reporting about the administration. In
recent months, it has hired a bevy of liberals and questionable
ex-politicians as commentators, including Geraldine Ferraro, Susan
Estrich, and Newt Gingrich, to buttress previous recent hires Eleanor
Clift, Ellen Ratner, Alan Colmes, Dick Morris and Al D’Amato. With the
exit of Drudge and Catherine Crier, only Sean Hannity is left to
represent true conservative views.”

“Judicial Watch believes in fair and balanced reporting as well, and
was very happy to come on O’Reilly’s show. With the recent dissing of
Matt Drudge, the hiring of ultra-left commentators or ethically
compromised politicians, and now the games being played with Judicial
Watch, it is clear that Fox News is now on the run and is heading
‘establishment mainstream left,'” said Klayman.

Klayman added that anyone who wants to ask him and Tom Fitton
questions about Judicial Watch’s 990 form, the Berkman article, or any
other matter, may call in to Judicial Watch’s new weekly radio program
“The Judicial Watch Report” on Saturday on Radio America between 12 p.m.
and 2 p.m. Eastern at 1-800-510-8255.

In August, WorldNetDaily Editor Joseph Farah made similar criticisms
of Fox News — in particular, the judgment of O’Reilly’s producer, who
pledged never to allow Farah on the program or the network again. Farah,
who had been a guest twice before on O’Reilly’s program and several
times on other Fox shows, has not been invited back on the network.

“I will tell you this,” Farah wrote. “Fox has a long way to go before
it presents a real alternative to the propaganda of the other TV
networks — a long way to go.”

Farah added that he is not worried about the snub.

“The day is coming, very soon, when the boys running Fox and CNN will
be trying to get the attention of WorldNetDaily and the New Media rather
than the other way around.”