Rupert Murdoch wants Giuliani as President says Judith Regan

The New York Post reports on Judith Regan's $100 million lawsuit claiming she was fired because she had dirt on Bernie Kerik that might derail Giuliani's campaign to become President.

In papers filed yesterday in Manhattan Supreme Court, Regan charges that she was disgraced and then dismissed from her prestigious position at the publisher because its parent company, News Corp., was worried about dirt she had on Giuliani's scandal-scarred pal Bernard Kerik, an ex-boyfriend.

"This action arises from a deliberate smear campaign orchestrated by one of the world's largest media conglomerates for the sole purpose of destroying one woman's credibility and reputation," Regan's suit says. "This smear campaign was necessary to advance News Corp.'s political agenda, which has long centered on protecting Rudy Giuliani's presidential ambitions."

The suit says a News Corp. executive, concerned about what Regan might know about Kerik, advised her "not to produce clearly relevant documents in connection with the government's investigation of Kerik," which resulted in his indictment last week.

But Regan's suit doesn't name the executive, or specify what those documents were, or offer any evidence to back up her claim.

Executives at News Corp., which also owns The Post, "knew they would be protecting Giuliani if they could pre-emptively discredit her," and supposedly saw their opening when a firestorm erupted over her planned Simpson book, a hypothetical confession titled, "If I Did It."

This could, of course, just be a counterattack by a disgruntled fired ex-employee, but for someone as well-known as Judith Regan to be fired for alleged anti-Semitic remarks has never really passed the smell test. Harper Collins knew that they had hired someone who had been a National Inquirer reporter. Such things normally require more that a single such incident, and then are handled a lot more quietly. It is extremely unusual for a company to make such personnel matters so very public, since it reflects badly on the company as well as the employee.

Her relationship with Bernie Kerik and the threat that Kerik clearly presents to Giuliani's presidential ambitions is a better, if itself suspicious, reason for her dismissal and very public character assassination.

Ms. Regan's allegation does, however, totally fit the extremely partisan right-wing character of News Corp and FOX News. Anyone who watches FOX News recognizes that they are the propaganda wing of the right-wing Republican Party. It is easy, then, to accept the allegation that they have chosen to support Rudy Giuliani as President and will use the full power of News Corp to promote him and to remove threats to his elevation to the Presidency.

There is also the fact that Bernie Kerik is a major threat to Rudy Giuliani's Presidential ambitions, and since Judith Reagan was apparently his girl friend (while he was married to someone else), someone who wants Rudy elected President can certainly expect her to be a threat to him. Publicly discrediting her in advance of Rudy's campaign could well be seen as a good preemptive move for handling an anticipated threat to his campaign.

Should we buy Judith Regan's allegations? They certainly are reasonable given the individuals involved and the overall situation. I'd like to see some evidence beyond just her assertion, but I'm not going to discount it.

[ h/t to TPM for the referral since I would have no reason to read the NY Post if not referred. ]