.@MaxineWaters on O’Reilly accusations: “It was a sexual harassment enterprise there at Fox” https://t.co/YZ32bCBsdM https://t.co/KkAu3IK1bP
— Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) April 20, 2017
California Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters has already weighed in the Bill O’Reilly story that is still making waves in the D.C./New York City Media Bubble. The longtime Fox News star was terminated on Monday setting off a media frenzy regarding reports that the network and O’Reilly had paid over $13 million to settle sexual harassment claims made against the most recognizable man in cable news. On CNN last night, Waters made no secret of her delight with the reports of O’Reilly’s demise.
“I consider that is was a sexual harassment enterprise, there at Fox,” Waters said, adding “and the men there, and Ailes, this was a way of life for them.”
She continued, “Powerful men with a lot of money who would proposition women and take advantage of them. They thought that normal and the way life should be!”
She also said she believes the termination of a high profile man like O’Reilly is a signal that things are changing at Fox News.
“Thank god it’s stopped now with Bill O’Reilly at Fox,” Waters told host Anderson Cooper.
She then followed up her firey appearance with a message to O’Reilly and about sexual harassment in general, saying men like him should be in jail and not be able to buy their way out of trouble.
Regarding the news on O’Reilly, a day will come when rich men won’t be able to buy their way out of criminal conduct & they will go to jail.
— Maxine Waters (@MaxineWaters) April 20, 2017
Whether this truly signals an end to anything like that remains to be seen, but it certainly signals the end of an era in cable news. The O’Reilly Factor was the highest rated show in all of primetime cable news for at least the last 15 years and celebrated its 20th anniversary last October with O’Reilly as host. O’Reilly has denied all wrongdoing.
[image via screengrab]
