Fox News Parts Ways with Maria Bartiromo and Producer Following Report of Internal Breach

Fox News Media has confirmed the departure of anchor Maria Bartiromo and her executive producer, Patrick Ignozzi, following a report that Bartiromo shared confidential internal guidance with the White House regarding the network's coverage of President Donald Trump. The report, first by Puck's Dylan Byers, indicated that Bartiromo's firing stemmed from an incident in July when Fox Business management instructed employees not to support claims made by Trump about the 2020 election and China. Bartiromo allegedly sent a screenshot of this guidance to senior White House officials. Fox executives became aware of the situation after receiving a call from the White House. Although Fox News Media described the separation as a mutual decision, Bartiromo's last broadcast was on August 9. The network expressed gratitude for her 12.5 years of service. Bartiromo's reporting on the 2020 election has previously led to significant legal challenges for the network, including a $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems in 2023. In December 2020, Bartiromo claimed on air that an 'intel source' informed her that Trump had won the election.