Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) responded to sexual harassment allegations against Fox News host Bill O’Reilly with condemnation, saying he “needs to go to jail.”
“It’s all catching up with Bill O’Reilly and that sexual harassment enterprise that they created over there at Fox,” Waters said Wednesday on MSNBC, referencing a New York Times investigative piece that brought to light some $13 million in sexual harassment lawsuit settlements that O’Reilly and Fox News have paid to women who had worked with the host.
“It shouldn’t be in America that you can sexually harass women and then buy your way out of it just because you’re rich,” Waters told MSNBC host Chris Hayes. “If they continue to do this in the way that they have done, they need to go to jail. Bill O’Reilly needs to go to jail.”
Since the Times investigation was published on Sunday, “The O’Reilly Factor” has lost more than 40 advertisers. O’Reilly denied the sexual harassment allegations in a statement to the newspaper, saying his prominence made him a target for lawsuits. Fox News said it was working with sponsors to relocate advertising from O’Reilly’s show to other programs.
Just last week, O’Reilly made headlines for his racist and sexist comment about Waters. During an appearance on “Fox and Friends,” O’Reilly responded to a clip of Waters calling out the bigoted behavior of some of President Donald Trump’s supporters by saying, “I didn’t hear a word she said. I was looking at the James Brown wig.”
Hours later, Waters said she had nothing to say to O’Reilly, but she did make her feelings known.
“I am a strong black woman, and I cannot be intimidated. I cannot be undermined,” Waters said. “And I’d like to say to women out there everywhere: Don’t allow these right-wing talking heads, these dishonorable people, to intimidate you or scare you. Be who you are. Do what you do. And let us get on with discussing the real issues of this country.”
Trump on Wednesday defended O’Reilly, saying he didn’t think the TV host did anything wrong. Waters said she was not surprised. “They are two of a kind,” she said.
Watch Waters’ comments in the video above.