Federal probe of Fox News expands

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The U.S. Justice Department's investigation of Fox News has widened to include a second law enforcement agency.

Financial crimes experts from the United States Postal Inspection Service are now involved, according to four sources connected to the investigation. 

 

Mail fraud and wire fraud cases are part of the USPIS purview. 

Investigators from both the USPIS and the Justice Department have been conducting interviews in recent weeks -- including with some former Fox staffers -- to obtain more information about the network's managers and business practices, the sources said. 

The existence of the federal investigation was revealed in February. At the time Fox News and its parent company 21st Century Fox said they had not been subpoenaed, but a spokeswoman said, "we have been in communication with the U.S. Attorney's office for months — we have and will continue to cooperate on all inquiries with any interested authorities." 

Contacted about this story, the Justice Department and the USPIS had no comment. 21st Century Fox also declined to comment. 

In February the investigation was reported to be focusing on settlements made with women who alleged sexual harassment by former Fox News boss Roger Ailes, and questions about whether Fox had a duty to inform shareholders about the settlement payments. 

The investigators have been asking "how the shareholder money was spent; who knew; and who should have known," one of the sources said. 

But, CNNMoney has learned, the settlement payments are not the only thing they are examining. 

Investigators have been probing possible misconduct by Fox News personnel and asking questions about the overall environment at the network. 

Investigators have also been asking questions about mysterious confidants of Ailes -- people who were known inside Fox as "friends of Roger."

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http://money.cnn.com/2017/04/27/media/fox-news-federal-investigation/