Fox News Insiders Slam Trump’s DC Attorney General Jeanine Pirro Over Election Fraud Claims

High-ranking executives at Fox News have expressed concerns about Jeanine Pirro, now the U.S. Attorney for Washington D.C., due to her tendency to amplify unsubstantiated claims and promote conspiracy theories.

These criticisms were made public in legal documents as part of a defamation lawsuit brought against Fox News by Smartmatic, a voting technology company. Pirro is listed as a defendant in the case.

The comments were made after the 2020 presidential election when Pirro used her platform to advance baseless claims that the victory had been stolen from President Trump.

Executives at Fox News privately agreed that Trump had lost the election, but as the network worked to stem the loss of viewers, Pirro became one of the most prominent figures to continue promoting Trump’s unfounded allegations of voter fraud.

Fox executives have testified in sworn depositions that they had no concerns about what Pirro said on air and considered her a reliable source of information. They assert that she took steps to investigate the claims and was careful to feature denials when available.

However, judges have pushed back against what they call illegally obtained or flimsy evidence presented by prosecutors in court filings. Several grand juries have declined to indict individuals accused of assaulting law enforcement officials, despite the legal maxim that any good prosecutor could get a grand jury to indict a ham sandwich.

Pirro has made public announcements about various investigations and arrests since taking on her new role, but not all charges are sticking. Some defendants have successfully challenged the evidence presented against them.

Trump had previously praised Pirro for her two shows at Fox News, Justice With Judge Jeanine and The Five, calling them “one of the Highest Rated Shows on Television.” Trump has repeatedly promoted Pirro’s books and shows on social media, highlighting her support for him.

Despite her unwavering support for Trump, Pirro’s tenacity caused headaches for her bosses at Fox News during a critical period. On Sept. 21, 2020, one executive texted the head of the Republican National Committee, expressing concern that Pirro’s show was “rife with conspiracy theories and BS” and should never be on live television.

Even after Trump administration officials responsible for election integrity found no appreciable voting fraud, Pirro continued to promote unfounded allegations.

On Nov. 13, Fox Corp. Executive Chairman Lachlan Murdoch expressed concern about the backlash over the question of Pirro’s show being pulled the previous week and asked if anyone had spoken to her before her show that weekend. Executives were told to promote Pirro on the network’s major shows and website.

However, Fox executive Jerry Andrews warned his colleagues about Pirro’s tendency to find conspiracy theories online and her propensity for spreading false information. Despite these concerns, Pirro continued to host her weekly show and was promoted from weekend host to full-time host of The Five in 2022.

The defamation lawsuit brought by Smartmatic against Fox News is ongoing, with the case being heard in New York state court in Manhattan. Lachlan Murdoch, Fox Corp.’s executive chairman and CEO, has stated that the network will fare better against Smartmatic in court than it did against Dominion Voting Systems in a previous lawsuit.