Karen McDougal is suing Fox News for slander after Tucker Carlson invoked her situation in an effort to downplay Donald Trump’s Ukraine issues.
McDougal is the former Playboy model who received money from National Enquirer to keep quiet about her alleged affair with Trump. She got out of the hush deal in a settlement with the parent company of National Enquirer, which later admitted to illegal campaign contributions.
On December 10, 2018 episode of ‘Tucker Carlson Tonight’, the host presented what had occurred differently.
“Remember the facts of the story, these are undisputed,” stated Carlson before he referenced Trump’s alleged affairs with McDougal and porn star Stormy Daniels. “Two women approached Donald Trump and threatened to ruin his career and humiliate his family if he doesn’t give them money. Now that sounds like a classic case of extortion.”
In McDougal’s complaint, filed on December 4 in New York state court, the plaintiff attacks Carlson’s suggestion that she approached Trump with threats: “This statement is completely untrue and was made knowing it was untrue and with reckless disregard for the truth.”
Carlson seemingly was attempting to undercut the seriousness of allegations that Trump had committed extortion in Ukraine. At the moment, Trump appears headed towards impeachment after allegedly demanding that Ukraine announce an investigation into his political opponent (Joe Biden and his son) in return for military aid.
On the Dec. 10 show, Carlson analogized the “extortion” over the Trump affairs to what lawmakers are fussing about today.
After saying that the demands from the women “sound[ed] like a classic case of extortion,” for which Trump had “cave[d],” Carlson added, “Now, more than two years later, Trump is a felon for doing this. It doesn’t seem to make any sense. Oh, but you’re not a federal prosecutor on a political mission. If you were a federal prosecutor on a political mission, you would construe those extortion payments as campaign contributions.”
The suit notes that McDougal “never approached Trump and threatened to ruin his career or humiliate his family if he did not give her money.”
A spokesperson for the network released a statement saying, “Fox News will vigorously defend Tucker Carlson against these meritless claims.”
Sources:
CNBC: Self-professed ex-Trump mistress Karen McDougal sues Fox News for defamation after ‘extortion’ claim
The Hollywood Reporter: Fox News Sued Over Tucker Carlson’s “Extortion” Analogy
Independent: Karen McDougal: Woman who claims she had affair with Trump sues Fox News over Tucker Carlson claim
Featured and Top Image Courtesy Of Gage Skidmore’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
