Roger Ailes Defends Douglas Kennedy: 'I Support Douglas' Against Misdemeanor Charges (VIDEO)

Fox News chief Roger Ailes has spoken out about the recent scandal involving his employee, Douglas Kennedy.

The Fox News reporter and son of Robert and Ethel Kennedy has been charged with harassment and child endangerment after an altercation at a Westchester County hospital in January. Two nurses at the hospital have claimed that Kennedy attempted to take his newborn son out of the maternity ward against their permission, and grew violent when they tried to stop him. One nurse said Kennedy kicked her in the pelvis the other said he twisted her arm.

Kennedy and his wife have denied the allegations, along with a doctor who has said he witnessed the dispute. Now, Kennedy's boss has come to his aid. Ailes has released a statement defending Kennedy on Sunday, alleging that the incident has been "twisted" due to his "famous name." Read Ailes' entire statement below.

"I have known Douglas Kennedy, his wife and his family professionally and personally for over 15 years. He tells the truth and his calm and gentle demeanor always impressed me. He is the definition of a great father and it is a role he cherishes over all others. I support Douglas as do the independent eyewitness accounts of the event. It is unfortunate that what appears to be a father’s defensive maneuver to protect his newborn baby has been twisted because of his famous name. In my view, the real moral of this story should be don’t try to grab a baby from the arms of a loving father."

Watch the video below, which includes the surveillance footage from the hospital:

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Comments

[dublindude]

02:23 PM on 03/04/2012

I'm a dem but this guy is a complete tool,. You cannot take a baby out of a hospital without a formal discharge no matter who you are and you certainly can't walk out with them in your hands. They have to be secured in a seat and it's all for a very good reason - the safety of the child until it leaves the hospital. If you don't like those rules, squeeze your puppy out at home. The fact that Ailes defends him tells you all you need to know about his character.

[Martel LXIV]

01:43 PM on 03/02/2012

The commentator tells us that, on the tape, we can see Kennedy lift his leg and then a nurse falls on the floor. We cannot see any leg being lifted at all. At least, in the REAL world, and on THIS tape, we don't see that.

Whatever happened or did not happen, the tape does not show what the commentator says that we see.

[ConservativeAmongWolves]

04:50 AM on 03/02/2012

I don't understand how a parent can be charged with removing their OWN child from a hospital? If the nurse KNEW he was the father, how can they legally put a hand on him? My understanding is that a patient can leave at any time? The parent of a minor patient should be able to remove that child at any time....? Anyone know the law on this?

[crazymom13]

07:03 AM on 03/02/2012

Yes, in a maternity ward, the mother is considered for all practical purposes as the owner (for lack of a better word) of the baby and the dad is a very welcome visitor. Babies never ever ever ever leave with any visitor prior to discharge as it would disable the entire infant security system that was put in place to protect all the families.

Partners come into the hospital with a wide range of relationships and there could easily be situation where the "dad"or other man in her life might take the baby for devious reasons. While mom is a patient, the baby is kept behind locked doors with her.

Also, in every hospital I have ever seen, it is strictly against the rules to walk the halls with the babe in arms...they must be pushed in their bassinettes, so just his insistence that he do that was hostile.

THere is no such a thing as "permission to leave" the very people with the power to give it would be the first to deny it as they know they would be compromising their security system. His insistence to gain special privilege was actually endangering every family there.

Also, why would anyone talk a newborn outside "for fresh air" in January in New York? Ive worked in Maternity for years and never ever had a dad do that...his actions were out of place, odd and hostile.

[ConservativeAmongWolves]

04:27 PM on 03/03/2012

Personally I think he was stupid to attempt it. Probably a "I'm a Kennedy" mentality.

I never tried to carry any of my three newborns around the floors. I was too tired.....taking care of my wife and catching up on sleep was my highest priority.

[sadlesor]

05:55 PM on 03/01/2012

Hospitals cannot hold someone hostage until papers are signed. Douglas Kennedy is the father and has the right to his baby. If anything Kennedy should be the one filing an assault complaint against these two nurses. They went after him, not the other way around.

[sallyslide]

08:41 PM on 03/01/2012

If his child had been born at home Mr. Kennedy could have taken it outside whenever he pleased. This was not his house. The nursing staff is paid to support the rules of the hospital and protect those under their care at all costs. The hospital is legally liable until the baby is discharged by it's physician. Next time the Kennedy's need to deliver at home.
.

[sadlesor]

10:05 PM on 03/01/2012

Not necessarily true. Being that Kennedy is the legal parent he has the right to decide to leave the hospital with the infant. NO hospital has the authority to keep a person inside unless that person is being held by law/court enforcement or under mental health care orders.

[snesich]

05:47 PM on 03/01/2012

This is the first I've ever heard of this member of the RFK family. It's a sad story. But what is most sad about it is knowing that the son of Bobby Kennedy is working for a miscreant and sociopathic manipulator like Roger Ailes.

Had Douglas Kennedy's father lived, he could have possibly been Richard Nixon's opponent in the fall of 1968, when Ailes was Nixon's media director. And, whether Douglas Kennedy knows it or not, Alies would have savagely and mendaciously attempted to destroy and demonize the character of his father, as he has been doing ever since to anyone who he dislikes.

[MiserblOF]

04:29 PM on 03/01/2012

Wow.. Roger Ailes got his back.. Glad he doesn't have mine.

[moebalot]

03:58 PM on 03/01/2012

HP, be careful about this story in your compulsion to slam FOX at every chance you get with creative headlining and inaccurate commentary to excite your loyal followers. The question for HP is how much do they hate FOX and Roger Ailes vs. how much to they love the Kennedy Liberal family and their political agenda

[bravissisima]

03:28 PM on 03/01/2012

Don't believe him. A "calm person" would have calmly stopped and followed the nurses instructions. After all, he was most likely being notified of procedures as he was "talked out" of the elevator. A calm person would have said, "Oh, I'm sorry...I didn't realize...What is the procedure?" He could have continued holding his baby while he got permission to leave with the child. I hope that if someone is trying to take my baby out of a hospital that MORE than TWO nurses try to stop them and make them follow procedures, which, hopefully include MY permission!

[aphextwin07]

02:16 PM on 03/01/2012

so... not only is the video blurred at the moment where they're claiming there was a struggle, but the video is also missing frames between when she was standing and when she was on the ground... so what on earth is the point of even having the video if it is completely inconclusive? nice waste of time here.

[ThinkCreeps]

12:08 AM on 02/29/2012

Ailes' support probably won't carry much weight with the court.
I see, Mr Kennedy that you have a character witness who is completely without character and a habitual - and indeed a professional - liar.

[ConservativeAmongWolves]

04:51 AM on 03/02/2012

ThinkCreeps drinks too much Koolaide.

[Marysdude]

11:19 PM on 02/28/2012

Women...unless you show you care, you will spend the next generation kow towing to old white men, and their presumptions about your health and sexual maturity.

[Eidolas]

10:29 AM on 03/01/2012

Grinding your ax, eh?

[ConservativeAmongWolves]

04:52 AM on 03/02/2012

Bitter about life "dude?"

[Boomerwoman]

10:10 PM on 02/28/2012

"Go ahead," Roger prodded with a chuckle, "pull my finger...really, it's funny!"

[soisay]

10:08 PM on 02/28/2012

I would say something disrespectful of Roger Ailes here, but I watched him once on MTP lecture Adrianna without making the distinction between blog posters and paid columnists. And ignoring Fox blog posters as well. Ailes was such an odd man to claim to have thin skin.

[MesesMom]

09:20 PM on 02/28/2012

I swear, is there one single Kennedy who doesn't believe that they are somehow above the rules that mere mortal like you and I must observe? Spoiled "special snowflakes", the lot of 'em.

[Karen1]

03:16 PM on 02/29/2012

It's HIS baby, not the hospital's.

[MesesMom]

04:48 AM on 03/01/2012

I know this might come as a shock to a lot of people, but hopitals have rules and they have rules for a reason. If you don't want to follow the rules, why GO to the hospital in the first place? And, on what planet is it a good idea to drag a newborn baby outside into a New York state winter? This is simply a case of too much privilege and not enough common sense.

[Eidolas]

10:32 AM on 03/01/2012

So, a guy can walk into the hospital, grab a baby and just leave without even bothering to get a discharge?

[Kay Edwards]

12:40 PM on 03/01/2012

I agree.

[Tom S Cedar Mill]

08:12 PM on 02/28/2012

How could I doubt such a fair and balanced source as Ailes?