By: Dave Astor In the wake of sexual-harassment charges, Bill O'Reilly hasn't lost clients for his newspaper column -- or the confidence of his syndicate's president.
"I'm behind him 100%," said Creators Syndicate President Rick Newcombe, when contacted today by E&P. "I think this is politically motivated. Bill is a lightning rod for criticism because he has strong views and can be very critical of the other side. He's a big target."
Newcombe added that none of O'Reilly's newspapers has canceled the column or mentioned the case of alleged sexual harassment. O'Reilly's weekly feature appears in 300-plus papers, according to Creators, making him one of the more widely syndicated opinion columnists.
Andrea Mackris, an associate producer on O'Reilly's highly rated Fox News Channel show, filed a lawsuit accusing O'Reilly of speaking to her against her will about sex, vibrators, and more. The suit also quotes O'Reilly as threatening any women who complained about his advances and as saying that Fox News head Roger Ailes would retaliate against enemies of the cable channel.
O'Reilly -- a married father of two who has criticized President Clinton and others involved in sex scandals -- filed suit against Mackris accusing her of trying to extort $60 million from him and saying her allegations may be motivated by her attorney's connections to the Democratic Party as the presidential election nears.
Newcombe wondered if the legal tussle was another offshoot of the "mean-spirited" campaigns waged by both Democrats and Republicans.
"Bill has been unfairly accused so many times of so many things," added Newcombe, whose syndicate began distributing O'Reilly's column in early 2001. "I've gotten to know Bill for three or four years. His family is extremely important to him. He and his wife, and he and his children, are very close. Bill is loyal, honest, and straightforward. He's demanding, but knows how to say thanks. He is a geniunely honorable person."
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