Jessica Tarlov, a liberal co-host on Fox News’ “The Five,” stirred controversy earlier this week by alleging, without evidence, that former Hunter Biden associate Tony Bobulinski’s legal fees were paid by a Trump Super PAC.
“Tony Bobulinski’s lawyers’ fees have been paid by a Trump Super PAC that’s as recent as January,” she claimed on Wednesday. “What was actually said during the hearing was that the law firm representing Mr. Bobulinski was paid by a Trump PAC. I have seen no indication those payments were made in connection with Mr. Bobulinski’s legal fees and he denies that they were.”
This prompted Bobulinski’s lawyer to demand a retraction and apology. On the following airing of “The Five,” Tarlov offered a “clarification” on air.
“I would like to clarify a comment I made yesterday during our discussion of Tony Bobulinski’s appearance at the congressional hearing. During an exchange with my colleagues about the hearing I said that Mr. Bobulinski’s lawyers’ fees have been paid by a Trump super PAC as recent as January,” she said. “What was actually said during the hearing was that the law firm representing Mr. Bobulinski was paid by a Trump PAC. I have seen no indication those payments were made in connection with Mr. Bobulinski’s legal fees and he denies that they were.”
According to a second letter from Bobulinski’s lawyer that was reviewed by PJ Media, Tarlov’s lack of a full retraction and her characterization of her statement as a mere clarification rather than an apology weren’t inadequate. The letter, written by lawyer John Sullivan of the Binnall Law Group, stated that Tarlov’s remarks, even if presented as clarification, had the potential to mislead viewers and cast doubt on Bobulinski’s testimony. They warned of further legal action if Tarlov did not comply with their request for a retraction and apology.
Sullivan wrote:
To be clear, we demand a complete retraction and apology by Ms. Tarlov AT THE TOP OF TODAY’S SHOW while showing this photograph in which Ms. Tarlov clearly states that she explicitly “apologizes to Tony Bobulinski and Stefan Passantino for making a false claim on the air which harmed their reputations.” Ms. Tarlov must further state, “To be clear, it appears that Mr. Bobulinski has always paid all of his legal bills and there is no evidence that Mr. Passantino or his law firm accepted money from anyone other than Mr. Bobulinski for his representation.” These statements must be made without the petulant innuendo or further attempted mental gymnastics as we saw from her yesterday. Absent such statements, both he and Mr. Passantino will continue to be harmed.
However, Tarlov made no retraction at any point during Friday’s show. In a letter obtained by Mediaite, Fox Corporation dismissed the demand for a retraction, and asserted that the network will “not issue any further correction.”
Here is the letter:
I am responding to your letter of March 22, 2024, to Jeff Taylor concerning the correction that Jessica Tarlov made on “The Five” on March 21, 2024. Her correction was accurate, and we will not be issuing any further correction.
On March 21, Mr. Binnal of your firm wrote to Mr. Taylor to complain that on March 20 Ms. Tarlov had said on “The Five” that Mr. Bobulinski’s legal fees had been paid as recently as January 2024 by a Trump PAC and that this statement was not true. The next day, on air, Ms. Tarlov corrected her statement. She explained: “What was actually said at the hearing was that the law firm representing Mr. Bobulinski was paid by a Trump PAC.” That statement was an entirely accurate report on the congressional proceedings. At the hearing in question, Representative Crockett stated that the Save America PAC had paid the law firm (Elections LLC), and she introduced a document into the record that she claimed showed such a payment. Publicly available FEC filings also show payments from the Save America PAC to Elections LLC.
Ms. Tarlov then went on to further correct her prior statement: “I have seen no indication that those payments were made in connection to Mr. Bobulinski’s legal fees, and he denies that they were.” That correction made clear that Ms. Tarlov had “no indication” that the Trump PAC payments to the law firm were connected to Mr. Bobulinski’s legal fees.
Your suggestion that Ms. Tarlov’s statement somehow “left the impression that it was a matter of fact . . . that Mr. Bobulinski’s legal fees were being paid by a Trump PAC,” March 22 Letter at 2, simply ignores what Ms. Tarlov said. She made clear that she had “no indication” that there was any such connection between a Trump PAC and Mr. Bobulinski’s fees. And she also repeated your client’s denial that any Trump PAC had paid his fees.
In short, the statements Ms. Tarlov made on March 21 were accurate and made clear that Ms. Tarlov was not aware of anything to indicate that payments from a Trump PAC to Elections, LLC were made in connection with Mr. Bobulinski’s legal fees. We will not issue any further correction.
PJ Media will continue to follow this story as it develops.