On Thursday (September 3), Fox News Media announced that veteran reporter Maria Bartiromo was no longer with the company, surprising many. But another report disclosed that the reason might’ve been the fact that she funneled confidential information from the network to the White House.
“Effective today, Maria Bartiromo is no longer with FOX News Media,” the statement released by the company said. “We thank Maria for her work over the last 12 ½ years and wish her all the best on her next chapter.”
According to reporting from The Hollywood Reporter, Bartiromo had not been on the air since early August. The departure of one of Fox News’ top personalities became clearer after reporterOliver Darcy revealed that Bartiromo leaked confidential information concerning coverage of President Donald Trump to the White House earlier in the summer.
“After Trump delivered his unhinged prime time speech in which he pushed more conspiracy theories about the 2020 election, this time making a number of allegations against China… Fox News issued guidance to senior employees instructing them to steer clear of giving credence to Trump’s delusional claims,” Darcy wrote in his STATUS newsletter.
After that guidance was issued, Bartiromo shared it with the White House, emphasizing “that Trump’s speech had received scant coverage on the channel because network bosses had ordered it so,” and had even shared the text message for verification.
That move “disclosed confidential company information, violating the terms of her employment agreement,” amounting to Bartiromo having “effectively betrayed her employer” to further her closeness with Trump.
Maria Bartiromo has been a MAGA ally for years, besmirching her reputation by promoting Trump’s debunked conspiracy theories around voting, particularly claims after the 2020 presidential election alleging that Dominion Voting Systems’ equipment was compromised. Those actions would be part of Dominion’s evidence for their lawsuit against Fox News Media, which was settled for $800 million.
