(NewsNation) — A former Fox News reporter and producer said in a lawsuit against his one-time employer he was "targeted" after speaking out against the network's "false reporting" on the 2020 election and Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
The lawsuit states Jason Donner, who was at Fox for over 12 years, did not share many of the views expressed by Fox News' evening television hosts. However, the suit says, this did not affect his ability to report on Capitol Hill news until the wake of the 2020 election, when "something changed" at Fox.
On Jan. 6, 2021, the day of the riot, Donner had been inside the U.S. Capitol and overheard Fox News falsely reporting the rioters were "peaceful," with host Martha MacCallum saying they were "severely disappointed" even as shots were fired outside the House floor and tear gas was deployed. Angered at Fox's reporting, Donner called its control room, saying, "You’re gonna get us all killed."
Donner continued complaining about then-Fox anchor Tucker Carlson's untrue statements regarding Jan. 6. Specifically, he worked on a story debunking false claims in Carlson's Fox Nation documentary "Patriot Purge," including that Jan. 6 was not orchestrated by Trump supporters but opponents and that the riot was a "false flag" operation.
After these incidents, the lawsuit says, Fox News began to "discriminate and retaliate" against Donner.
According to the lawsuit, Donner's supervisor accused him of creating a "toxic environment," though she did not give details, instead just saying he needed “more self-awareness when talking during Zoom meetings” and counseling him on the “importance of sending out editorial guidance.”
"Donner had never received any of these types of criticism from his prior supervisor in the previous five years despite the fact that his work ethic and performance remain unchanged," the lawsuit said. "It became evident to Donner he was now being targeted for speaking out against the false reporting on the election and the Jan. 6 insurrection, and for his political affiliation."
A day after Donner called in sick to work because he was recovering from the COVID-19 vaccine, the lawsuit says, his supervisor called him, yelled at him and challenged the reporter's work ethic. On Sept. 28, 2022, Donner was fired, with Fox's D.C. bureau chief telling him it was because he was "late for work and did not show up for work," the lawsuit states. When asked for examples, the bureau chief allegedly said, "We don't need any."
"This was a pretextual firing based on Donner’s political views and affiliation, his refusal to report false information regarding the 2020 election and Jan. 6, and for his engaging in protected activity," the lawsuit said. "Ultimately, Fox News wanted to purge the news division of any staff that would not get in line with the directive to only report information that appease(d) the Trump supporters and former President Trump."
NewsNation has reached out to Fox for comment.
Fox News has faced other lawsuits before, namely one from Dominion Voting System, which alleged the station knowingly promoted false conspiracy theories about the security of its voting machines. Dominion and Fox eventually settled, with the latter paying nearly $800 million.
Another $12 million was paid by Fox to settle with a former producer who claimed she faced a discriminatory workplace and said the network coerced her into giving false testimony in the Dominion suit.
Fox also faces lawsuits from a second voting machine company and a former Trump supporter who became the center of a conspiracy theory about Jan. 6 and says the network made him a scapegoat for the riot.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.