11-22-2023
Jason Donner was a Capitol Hill reporter and producer at Fox News for 12 years. He says the network fired him after he spoke out against its coverage of Donald Trump's false claims of a stolen election and the storming of the Capitol building on January 6.
Donner was reporting inside the Capitol on January 6 when the insurrectionists stormed through the doors. He hid with other reporters in news booths. While in there, he heard Fox report the attack as "peaceful." Donner called into the network and said that tear gas was going off, rioters were storming the building, and he heard shots fired. Donner also told them, “I don’t want to hear any of this f**king shit on our air again because you’re gonna get us all killed.” Following the insurrection, Donner complained to Fox bosses about the network’s lack of support, including Tucker Carlson’s false claims and conspiracy theories about that day. He told them, “[I]t was demoralizing that Fox News would allow Carlson to gaslight the country with false information.”
Donner believes Fox targeted him in the spring of 2022 after he continued to voice his concerns about the false on-air statements made during news broadcasts. He called in sick to work in September 2022, and Fox fired him two days later, claiming Donner was "late for work and did not show up for work." Donner filed a lawsuit alleging discrimination based on political affiliation and retaliation under the District of Columbia's anti-discrimination statute. He states he was a victim of a news division purge of those reporters speaking out against election fraud claims. The company wanted to win back viewers and pledge its loyalty to Donald Trump. Fox declined to comment on the lawsuit.