Fox Corp. has publicly described the split with its anchor Maria Bartiromo as a “business decision,” but The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that a person familiar with the matter said Bartiromo violated company policy by disclosing Fox coverage plans to the White House after President Donald Trump’s July 16 address on election security.
If accurate, the account would make Bartiromo’s exit less a routine programming change than an internal confidentiality dispute involving one of the network’s highest-profile political anchors and the administration she covered.
Fox announced Thursday that Bartiromo was leaving immediately after 12½ years. Her weekday program became “Mornings with FOX Business” on Friday, while “Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street” was renamed “FBN’s Wall Street.” Jason Chaffetz will temporarily host “Sunday Morning Futures.” Fox gave no reason in its original announcement.
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Asked directly about reporting that Bartiromo had disclosed internal guidance, Fox told TheWrap, “This was a business decision and the release speaks for itself.” The network declined to say whether it specifically disputed the allegation.
The Journal was not the first outlet to report the disclosure claim. Status also reported Thursday that Bartiromo shared internal guidance concerning how Fox would handle Trump’s election claims. Puck separately reported that she sent a screenshot of editorial direction to senior White House officials, according to multiple sources cited by the outlet.
The episode also comes against Fox’s costly history with election-related coverage. Fox paid $787.5 million to settle Dominion Voting Systems’ defamation case in 2023. A separate Smartmatic defamation case involving Fox and Bartiromo remains active in New York.
Bartiromo has not publicly addressed the reported policy violation.
