Conservative political pundit Scottie Nell Hughes a staunch Trump supporter and former CNN commentator is suing Fox News after claiming anchor Charles Payne raped her.
Conservative political commentator Scottie Nell Hughes continues her war with Fox News and business anchor Charles Payne who she accused of rape.
Scottie Nell Hughes sues Fox News, Charles Payne
The New York Times reported the following.
Fox News, which for more than a year has dealt with the fallout from an embarrassing sexual harassment scandal, was sued on Monday by the political commentator Scottie Nell Hughes, who claimed that she had been raped by the longtime anchor Charles Payne and was then retaliated against by the network after she came forward with her allegation. …
In her lawsuit, Ms. Hughes said that Mr. Payne had “pressured” his way into her hotel room in July 2013 and coerced her to have sexual intercourse with him, even though she had refused his advances by telling him “no” and “stop.”
According to the suit, Ms. Hughes was “shocked and ashamed” and did not immediately report the episode. She said that over the next two years she was forced to engage in a sexual relationship with Mr. Payne. In exchange, she said, she received career opportunities, including increased appearances on Fox News and Fox Business and the promise that Mr. Payne would help her land a contributor contract, a job that can pay several hundred thousand dollars a year. Ms. Hughes never became a paid contributor at either channel.
Fox News suspended Charles Payne in July after the National Enquirer published an article where he acknowledged a sexual relationship with a former and CNN and Fox News, contributor. Fox News has recently reinstated him.
“In July of 2013, I was raped by Charles Payne,” Ms. Hughes said in an interview, referring to the allegations in her lawsuit. “In July of 2017, I was raped again by Fox News. Since then, I have been living an absolute hell.”
According to Hughes, Fox News had a rather sexist protocol.
Hughes also says Payne often referenced other “‘relationships’ between certain Fox male hosts and subordinate female employees” and told her it was important for females to “have a male host who would ‘go to bat’ for you.”
Many may discount this suit as just a woman who attempted to further her career by sleeping with someone who could help her get there. When that failed, she cried foul. This issue is much deeper. It seems like an abuse of power that at times bordered on misogyny. Irrespective of the outcome of the suit against Fox News, it is clear that the network has a poor track record with women including their former star anchor Megyn Kelly.