An FBI raid of the home of a media consultant in Tampa was linked to a probe into leaked videos involving former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
FBI agents searched the home of Tim Burke, a media consultant who also worked with media outlets, and Tampa City Council member Lynn Hurtak on May 8 as part of a probe into backstage videos and unaired footage obtained by Vice News and Media Matters, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
The videos show Carlson having candid conversations during commercial breaks and before segments on his Fox News program. Unaired portions of Carlson’s two-part interview with rapper and fashion designer Kanye West from October 2022 also were released.
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Fox News announced Carlson’s departure from the network on April 24, saying they had “agreed to part ways” with the popular host. The network’s ratings have dropped since Carlson’s departure, with some subscribers canceling their subscriptions to the affiliated streaming service, Fox Nation.
Attorneys for Carlson accused the network of breaching its contract on May 19, saying the leaks were part of a “smear campaign” against the former host. Fox News sent Media Matters a cease-and-desist letter after that outlet posted some of the leaked videos.
Carlson announced on May 9 he would be re-launching the show on Twitter. Carlson’s interview with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who purchased Twitter for $44 billion in October 2022, aired shortly before his departure from the network.
The Free Press reached out to Fox News and the spokesperson declined to comment.
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