Jeanine Pirro to violate Fox’s supposed policy against campaigning with “rally” for Republican PAC

Jeanine Pirro image for Facebook

Citation Ceci Freed / Media Matters | Gage Skidmore via Creative Commons

Update (10/18/19): The Valley Young Republicans PAC event has been canceled without explanation. 

Fox News host Jeanine Pirro is set to do a “rally” for a Republican political action committee in California. Fox News has falsely claimed that it “does not condone any talent participating in campaign events.”

Pirro, who hosts the weekend program Justice with Judge Jeanine, has been one of President Donald Trump’s most vocal defenders. Fox News briefly suspended Pirro in March after she made anti-Muslim remarks against Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN). 

The Valley Young Republicans is a Fresno, California-based political action committee which aims “to recruit volunteers and elect Republicans up and down the Central Valley.” It was launched in August, according to a Federal Election Commission filing

The PAC announced yesterday that it is hosting Pirro in Tulare, California, on November 7 for a “Judge Jeanine Rally.” A disclaimer on the event page indicates that a ticket purchase is considered a campaign contribution (admission is $5).

Pirro has made more than $230,000 in recent years doing Republican speeches. Last year, after Pirro and fellow Fox News host Sean Hannity appeared at a rally with Trump, the network stated that it “does not condone any talent participating in campaign events” (in reality, Fox News personalities have frequently participated in campaign events both before and after the statement). 

In recent months, several Fox News personalities have cancelled speaking engagements for various reasons after Media Matters reported on them. Pirro herself has cancelled at least six GOP-aligned events in recent weeks, including for the pro-Trump group Jexit at Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. Organizers for the event later said that “Fox News insisted Jeanine cancel the #JEXIT benefit because we support President Trump.”