Gabriel Sherman, a contributing editor to New York Magazine, is being paid likely between $30,000-$90,000 by New America Foundation–a left-wing, George Soros-funded, tax-exempt organization–to write a forthcoming hatchet-job biography on Fox News’ Roger Ailes.
Sherman scored a contract with Random House in February 2011 to write the anti-Ailes biography and shortly after earned a fellowship at George-Soros funded New America Foundation (501c3). NAF fellows are chosen on a competitive basis based on their individual research projects, with Gabriel’s being the Ailes biography.
In the announcement of his fellowship at the organization, NAF stated, “As a Schwartz Fellow, Sherman will complete a book on the history of Roger Ailes and Fox News that Random House plans to publish in 2013.”
NAF’s webpage does not disclose the payment information for the individual fellowships. In a call to NAF headquarters in Washington, DC on March 21st, a NAF employee confirmed fellows earn $30,000, $60,000, or $90,000 based on their individual research projects. It stands to reason that, as a NAF fellow, Sherman is receiving at least the same salary.
This reporter reached out to Sherman twice for comment on how much tax-exempt money he is receiving from NAF to finish the Ailes biography, but a response has not yet been received.
Why is a little-known reporter receiving tax-exempt funds to write a loosely-constructed, unauthorized biography on Roger Ailes and Fox News? Given the left-leaning, agenda-pushing background of NAF and the less-than-favorable view of Fox News held by Gabriel Sherman, who has described the network as “cartoonish, desperate, loopy, egomaniacal,” we can come to our own conclusions.
Sherman’s book has sparked controversy in the media over the last few months, especially among employees and associates of Fox News. Sherman has been granted zero access to Ailes or anyone in Ailes’ immediate circle, leaving Sherman desperate for sources.
Accordingly, Sherman has been accused of “harassing” and “stalking” Ailes’ wife, Beth, near their family home in Putnam County, NY, as well as other Fox News employees. Sherman’s most recent encounter was with Fox News Contributor and Democratic pollster, Pat Caddell.
After a seemly uncontroversial and unrelated editorial from Caddell about a speech from President Jimmy Carter, Sherman accused Caddell of misquoting Gordon Stewart, a news executive and former speechwriter for President Carter.
Sherman repeatedly badgered Caddell via e-mail, phone, and twitter for a response to a question that could be answered with a quick Google search by Sherman. It is obvious that Sherman was trying to get a reaction out of Caddell. In an e-mail to Caddell, Sherman wrote: “[I]n my upcoming book on Roger Ailes and Fox News, I write about your Foxnews.com column about Gordon Stewart.”
It seems as if Sherman is trying to get a reaction out of anyone and everyone close to Fox News to fill his book before his approaching deadline.
And, in addition to bothering Fox News employees and associates, Sherman has come under fire for some crude twitter activity: