Peter Johnson Jr., a Fox News legal analyst and the personal lawyer and on-air “mouthpiece” of former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes, has receded from Fox’s airwaves following Ailes’ resignation and allegations by numerous women that Ailes sexually harassed them.
While Fox’s website still lists Johnson as an analyst, a Media Matters review found that Johnson has not appeared on Fox since July 12, when he discussed that day’s memorial for five fatally shot Dallas police officers. Johnson also has not tweeted since July 17.
On July 6, former Fox anchor Gretchen Carlson filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Ailes, triggering an investigation into those allegations. By the end of July, at least 25 other women had levied similar charges against him. Fox News’ parent company, 21st Century Fox, announced on July 21 that Ailes would resign.
Since then, New York magazine has reported that while CEO, Ailes used “portions of the Fox budget” to “hire consultants, political operatives, and private detectives” to conduct “surveillance campaigns” against perceived enemies, including journalists critical of Fox and Ailes, and that Johnson was involved in those operations. The magazine has described Johnson as a key confidante for Ailes as well as his on-air “mouthpiece.”