Bill O'Reiley in Hot Water

Nothing would surprise me. Those that scream the loudest about bad behavior are often doing it themselves (see Jim Baker, Rush Limbaugh, etc.) I actually find his show entertaining, but his on-air persona may have little to do with who he is the other 23 hours a day.

TV host O'Reilly accused of harassment

By David Bauder, AP Television Writer | October 14, 2004

NEW YORK --Bill O'Reilly, whose Fox News Channel show is the highest-rated cable news program, has been accused of sexual harassment by one of his producers. O'Reilly says the complaint is a politically motivated extortion attempt.

Both sides filed lawsuits Wednesday, with the woman, Andrea Mackris, saying the commentator had phone sex with her against her wishes three times.

In his claim against Mackris and her attorney, Benedict Morelli, O'Reilly said Morelli demanded $60 million in "hush money" to not file the lawsuit.

"As a public figure, I have received many threats," he said. "But enough is enough ... The threats stop now. I will not give in to extortion."

Mackris, 33, is an associate producer on "The O'Reilly Factor," a job she returned to in July after a short stint at CNN.

During a phone conversation this August, Mackris, 33, said O'Reilly suggested she buy a vibrator and was clearly excited. Before hanging up, she said, O'Reilly told her: "I appreciate the fun phone call."

She contended he made a similar call Sept. 21, ending that one by saying: "Next time you'll come up to my hotel room and we'll make this happen."

O'Reilly's lawyer, Ronald Green, said he believes there are tapes of conversations between the two and asked a court to compel Mackris to produce them so they could be played publicly.

"I know that he does not fear what is on the tapes," Green said.

Morelli would not comment on whether any taped phone conversations exist.

Besides the attempt for money, O'Reilly charged that his accuser and her lawyer were trying to embarrass him and Fox News Channel three weeks before the election. Morelli, he said, is a contributor to the Democratic Party; "The O'Reilly Factor" is a particular favorite among Republican viewers.

Morelli said his political contributions had nothing to do with the case.

"When he sued me today, I understood what kind of bully he is," the lawyer said.

Mackris sat next to Morelli at a news conference Wednesday, but did not speak and would not answer questions.

Mackris' complaint said she told O'Reilly she was not interested in phone sex and felt "trapped" after his first inappropriate phone call.

Mackris never complained to anyone at Fox about untoward behavior by O'Reilly, Green said. When she returned to Fox earlier this year, O'Reilly agreed to match her salary at CNN, the network said.

Fox produced an e-mail Mackris sent to a friend last month, saying things are "wonderful, amazing, fun, creative, invigorating, secure, well-managed, challenging, interesting fun and surrounded by really good, fun people. I'm home and I'll never leave again."

Mackris said in her lawsuit that she told O'Reilly she would return to Fox only if he stopped the inappropriate behavior.

She said O'Reilly told her: "If any woman ever breathed a word I'll make her pay so dearly that she'll wish she'd never been born. I'll rake her through the mud, bring up things in her life and make her so miserable that she'll be destroyed."

On his show Wednesday, O'Reilly called the case "the single most evil thing I have ever experienced, and I've seen a lot. But these people picked the wrong guy."

When he sued me today, I understood what kind of bully he is," the lawyer said

so....when he counter-sued he was a bully?

I don't believe it, the far left has been trying to get him for years. Sorry, those who come out of the woodwork with complaints like these have no credibility.

This accusation seems a bit well placed. I don't believe the incidents happened.

I just hope that the media doesn't convict him before the trial. I'm not a huge O'Reily fan (but then again, I don't hate him. I thought he was very good on the Daily Show last week). but for his sake, especially if this is not true, I hope it doesn't ruin his career. And if this lady is just golddigging, she ought to go to jail. But again, if it is true....

I find it a little hard to believe, but we shall see.

If I read this correctly, the counter-suit is coming from BOTH Fox and O'Reilly. This would lead me to believe that that something is fishy with the suer.

How do youhave phone sex wit hsomeone against their wishes??

big east wrote:

If I read this correctly, the counter-suit is coming from BOTH Fox and O'Reilly. This would lead me to believe that that something is fishy with the suer.

Excuse me. Correction, when I read it on

this is what I took.

Will Lang wrote:

How do youhave phone sex wit hsomeone against their wishes??

I was just going to add that. She couldnt hang up?

collegesophomore wrote:

I just hope that the media doesn't convict him before the trial. I'm not a huge O'Reily fan (but then again, I don't hate him. I thought he was very good on the Daily Show last week). but for his sake, especially if this is not true, I hope it doesn't ruin his career. And if this lady is just golddigging, she ought to go to jail. But again, if it is true....

unfortunately, the media, particulary CBS, CNN, the ny times, the washington post, probably even michael moore, will have a field day with this before it goes to trial.

K_LIN wrote:

unfortunately, the media, particulary CBS, CNN, the ny times, the washington post, probably even michael moore, will have a field day with this before it goes to trial.

funny. i first read about it yesterday on yahoo news. and today both the nytimes and the washington post ran only AP wire stories today, deep on the entertainment/arts page (below such stuff as "culkin pleads not guilty on drug charges.")

you'd really like to believe that the times and post would have a "field day" with this, much like o'reilly will probably rant and rave about how times and post are against him. but your perceptions aren't matching reality.

sorry.

SonNative wrote:

I find it hard to believe. Knowing O'Reiley the way we do, could he have done it or it is just an issue of a 33 year old woman's attempt to strike gold?

We don't know the guy at all. Kind of like everyone who thought they knew Kobe.

At the same time, the women's charges are pretty specific and the complaint has a lot of quotes:

If she tape recorded him it seems like a slam dunk.

Otherwise she might be fishing for money or trying to settle a score.

When your boss calls, you take the call. If he steers the conversation in a creepy direction, "just hanging up" on someone who controls your livelihood isn't a great option. And, even if you do, you still have to face him at work the next day (or next week). It's the creation of a hostile work environment that is the standard for a harassment case.

I have heard horror stories from friends who work in the TV/Radio fields about O'Reilly being a total ass to those who work for and near him. Apparently he thinks he is god.

However, I am skeptical of any shakedown. Now if she has audiotapes...

I cannot stand O'Reilly.

the flash (redux) wrote:

K_LIN wrote:

unfortunately, the media, particulary CBS, CNN, the ny times, the washington post, probably even michael moore, will have a field day with this before it goes to trial.

funny. i first read about it yesterday on yahoo news. and today both the nytimes and the washington post ran only AP wire stories today, deep on the entertainment/arts page (below such stuff as "culkin pleads not guilty on drug charges.")

you'd really like to believe that the times and post would have a "field day" with this, much like o'reilly will probably rant and rave about how times and post are against him. but your perceptions aren't matching reality.

sorry.

maybe i got a little bit ahead of myself, just because i hate when this crap happens(in the case of fishing for money or ruining someone elses reputation). And, although you may not beleive this, i just used the post and times as examples, only because they are the major papers based next to him....sorry.

I think the chick he was bothering is a runner.

Look up her results.

Not so surisingly today, all of the daily tabloids here in NY featured Bill O' prominently except for the Post, which is owned by News Corp, aka Murdoch, aka Mr. FoxNews.

I heard on the news this morning that this lady had been an intern in the Bush 1 White House. So, it's probably no polically motivated, but I wouldn't be surprised about the gold digging since, as stated before, she could have hung up the phone.