On the June 27 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, host Bill O'Reilly claimed that the “Palm Beach authorities” are “trying to ruin [nationally syndicated radio host] Rush Limbaugh" by detaining him at the Palm Beach, Florida, international airport for possession of a bottle of Viagra that did not have Limbaugh's name on the prescription.

O'Reilly stated that he “believe[d] powerful people in” Limbaugh's “home county are trying to unjustly harm him,” asserting repeatedly that Limbaugh engaged in “no wrongdoing” and that Limbaugh's actions were “not illegal.” O'Reilly insisted that Limbaugh's detainment was “political persecution” orchestrated by the airport's U.S. Customs agents and Palm Beach County authorities, because "[w]e're talking about a county where all these people know each other. It's a big clubhouse." Responding to defense attorney Michelle Suskauer's suggestion that the Customs agent's search of Limbaugh was standard, O'Reilly retorted: “Bull! That's bull! They wouldn't do it with anyone. ... It was a malicious, cheap, cheap, cheap tactic by the Palm Beach authorities, and they ought to be ashamed of themselves.” O'Reilly concluded: “If I were Limbaugh, I'd move right on out of there. I'd get out of there. They're after him.”

Limbaugh's attorneys have claimed that the Viagra was prescribed using the name of Limbaugh's physician to protect Limbaugh's privacy. The Contra Costa Times reported:

If Limbaugh's doctor doesn't confirm the prescription was indeed for the conservative radio host, the radio host could face a second-degree misdemeanor charge. That could torpedo last month's deal with in which prosecutors agreed to dismiss a “doctor shopping” charge if Limbaugh avoided arrest for 18 months, among other terms. Prosecutors had said he illegally deceived multiple doctors to get overlapping painkiller prescriptions. Limbaugh denied the charges but admitted he was addicted to painkillers.

From the June 27 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor:

O'REILLY: And later: Are Palm Beach authorities trying to ruin Rush Limbaugh? Upcoming.

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O'REILLY: All right, we appreciate you coming on the program, tonight. Plenty more ahead as The Factor moves along this evening. Rush Limbaugh embarrassed again. Looks like authorities in Palm Beach are trying to ruin the man. We'll investigate.

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O'REILLY: When we come back, the most controversial story of the evening. Are authorities in Palm Beach, Florida, trying to ruin Rush Limbaugh? There's evidence that says yes. Right back with it.

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O'REILLY: Thanks for staying with us. I'm Bill O'Reilly.

In the “Personal Story” segment tonight, looks like authorities in Palm Beach County, Florida, are out to ruin radio commentator Rush Limbaugh.

Now, I've only met the man once for about 10 seconds. He's a competitor of mine on the radio. I have no vested interest in his story. But he is an American, and I believe powerful people in his home county are trying unjustly to harm him.

On Monday, Mr. Limbaugh flew into Palm Beach County on a private jet. He was detained because a prescription on a non-narcotic medicine label was improperly written.

This is unusual in many ways. First, authorities don't usually check the shaving kits of people flying private. If they did, more than a few rock stars and other entertainers and politicians would be in very deep trouble.

Second, prescription medicine of the type Mr. Limbaugh had is almost always a private matter, but the story was leaked to the press almost immediately. That's flat-out wrong, ladies and gentlemen, as there was apparently no wrongdoing in this case.

Mr. Limbaugh and his attorney declined to appear this evening. But joining us now from West Palm Beach, Florida, is Michelle Suskauer, a defense attorney; and here in the studio, Jayne Weintraub, also a counselor for the defense. What say you, Jayne?

WEINTRAUB: I think this is a case, clearly, of humiliation factor. And it's embarrass first, correct later on Page 30 after it's all over the front page.

O'REILLY: But, I don't even think there's going to be a correction. But what I laid out about private planes, authorities checking medicine kits, particularly of a guy like Rush Limbaugh, it very rarely happens. So I only can conclude that in Palm Beach, where Mr. Limbaugh lives, they're out to get this guy.

WEINTRAUB: Absolutely. I mean, the whole prosecution, I think, was a political platform to begin with.

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O'REILLY: See, I disagree with you a little bit in the first one. If the guy is -- you know, if somebody is kiting OxyContin, which is much different than what this is all about, I think you can't ignore it. Because then you get favoritism. Well, he's a big rich guy, so he can get OxyContin by nine different doctors, but the junkie on the street can't. I don't think you can do that.

But here, here, Michelle, this is malicious, and this is unnecessary. Is it not?

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SUSKAUER: Let's -- let's talk about the authorities. We're not talking about Palm Beach County state attorney's office, who are the prosecutors. We're talking about Customs. And, the last that I know, Customs is the federal government. And that's who checked him.

O'REILLY: You're talking about a county where all these people know each other. It's a big clubhouse.

SUSKAUER: OK.

WEINTRAUB: A small, private airport.

SUSKAUER: OK, well, you know what? Bill, I disagree with you because it's Customs, it's the federal government --

O'REILLY: Well, they handed it over to the Palm Beach sheriff. They handed it right to the Palm Beach sheriff. It's not a federal beef. They handed it right to them.

SUSKAUER: Well, you know, he came in -- he came in on a private plane.

O'REILLY: Right.

SUSKAUER: But he did come from the Dominican Republic, so he's going to go through Customs like everybody else.

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O'REILLY: All right. Let me just -- look, because it was a low-level beef. And it had nothing to do with the security of anybody else in the United States.

But I'll give you the fact that OK, they know it's him. They know he's had some trouble before. OK, you search. Then you find a bottle of a non-narcotic prescription improperly labeled. And you call the -- come on. Come on.

SUSKAUER: It's not -- you know what? It's not improperly labeled. It was labeled properly in the name of a doctor, not his doctor, somebody else's doctor.

O'REILLY: It should have been labeled in his name.

SUSKAUER: You know what? It should have, or --

WEINTRAUB: They said it's not illegal. It is not illegal in Florida if it's properly documented.

[...]

O'REILLY: It's not illegal to do. Right?

WEINTRAUB: Even more reason why they shouldn't have wanted it to be leaked.

SUSKAUER: OK, nothing's going to happen. But -- but they're doing what they would do with anyone. OK? With anyone.

O'REILLY: Bull! That's bull! They wouldn't do it with anyone.

SUSKAUER: OK. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. This man -- this man is --

O'REILLY: They wouldn't. It's a purely discretionary play.

SUSKAUER: You know what? This man is not above the law, whether we -- he wants to be or not.

O'REILLY: You know, Michelle --

WEINTRAUB: He shouldn't be a target of it either.

O'REILLY: Where do you live in Florida, Jayne?

SUSKAUER: Oh you're right. He shouldn't be.

WEINTRAUB: In North Miami Beach. I live 45 minutes away.

O'REILLY: All right Jayne. I'll submit to you that if the authorities start shaking down medicine kits of the rich and famous in Palm Beach, they're not going to have too many people living there anymore. They're going to leave.

SUSKAUER: What the?

O'REILLY: All right, I'm going to give Jayne the last word. This is a setup. This is a political persecution. That's what this is.

WEINTRAUB: I'm not here to defend Rush Limbaugh --

O'REILLY: No, you're a liberal!

WEINTRAUB: -- but I am here to defend his right to privacy, and this clearly violated all of his rights to privacy, same as any person.

SUSKAUER: Oh, please.

O'REILLY: It did!

WEINTRAUB: It's celebrity injustice.

SUSKAUER: Bill --

O'REILLY: It's more than the right to privacy. It was a malicious, cheap --

SUSKAUER: Oh, please.

WEINTRAUB: It was cheap.

O'REILLY: -- cheap, tactic by the Palm Beach authorities, and they ought to be ashamed of themselves. They really -- if I were Limbaugh, I'd move right on out of there. I'd get out of there. They're after him.

SUSKAUER: He's not going anywhere.

O'REILLY: Well, I would. I'd move out, I'd be out of there now.

Ladies, thanks very much. We appreciate it.