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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2009
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 ANALYSIS 
28

Fox, Handed Ensign Affair, Commits Ugly Fumble

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(Newser) – Fox News had the bombshell about Sen. John Ensign’s affair in its lap and didn’t do anything with it, Howard Kurtz writes in the Washington Post. A Fox producer tells the Huffington Post the network never received a letter Douglas Hampton, the husband of the Republican’s mistress, sent last week, but did get an email from him on Monday. “We followed up with him, but he seemed evasive and not credible,” Tom Lowell said, “thus we didn't pursue it.”

“Sometimes a ball gets by,” Lowell told the Post. “This one got by. My mistake.” He said protecting anchor Megyn Kelly, to whom the letter was addressed and who “has any number of people who have stalked her,” was his main goal. Lowell also denied that anyone at Fox warned Ensign, who confessed to the affair Tuesday.

A Fox producer said he was worried a letter from the husband of Sen. John Ensign's mistress was from someone stalking anchor Megyn Kelly, seen here.
A Fox producer said he was worried a letter from the husband of Sen. John Ensign's mistress was from someone stalking anchor Megyn Kelly, seen here.   (Getty Images)
"We certainly weren't going to rush to air with accusations against a sitting senator without doing due diligence on the reputability of the claims," a Fox producer explained.   (Flickr)
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We get hundreds and hundreds of items a week. ... We have to filter all that. Clearly this guy had a story to tell and we just didn't get to it before the senator got to it. - Fox News producer Tom Lowell

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28 comments
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Reader64481089
Jun 19, 09 5:33 PM CDT
"Lowell also denied that anyone at Fox warned Ensign" *cough b/s Reply
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+20
tbirdsradio
Jun 19, 09 5:52 PM CDT
"We report, you decide"....SURE..OK..LOL Reply
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+13
IN RESPONSE:
anchower
Jun 19, 09 7:37 PM CDT
They decide, their viewers report . . . to their local militia.
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+7
drlarrymitchell
Jun 19, 09 6:03 PM CDT
This smells wrong. Why would Hampton try to OUT a philandering Senator with presidential aspirations by going to the propaganda arm of the party who would be trying to get that same philandering Senator elected? Reply
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+3
IN RESPONSE:
shonangreg
Jun 19, 09 8:07 PM CDT
Why did he go to FOX's news-style entertainment show, drlarrymitchell? Because that is all he watches? Because there are no other news shows?
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+5
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