Journalist Timothy Burke faces a grave accusation: hacking into Fox News and leaking compromising videos of former host Tucker Carlson. The indictment alleges Burke obtained footage where Carlson ridiculed gender pronouns and made inappropriate comments about a Fox makeup artist.

These videos surfaced online shortly after Carlson’s sudden departure from the network, painting him in a negative light.

Burke’s attorney vehemently denies his involvement, asserting that the videos were publicly accessible. Despite this, the FBI searched Burke’s Florida residence as part of the investigation.

Mark Rasch, Burke’s lawyer, clarifies that his client did not engage in illegal hacking activities. Rasch affirms, “He never hacked Fox News.” An arraignment is scheduled for today at 5 pm Eastern time.

In May 2023, leaked clips captured Carlson’s candid remarks, including telling Media Matters to “go f**k yourself.” Another video showed him mocking former colleague Bill O’Reilly.

Burke, known for his digital media expertise, has a history of compiling publicly available videos into compelling narratives. Rasch defends Burke’s actions as journalistic, stating, “If a video is public and unencrypted, there’s no crime committed when a journalist finds it.”

The Justice Department’s communication with Fox reveals that Media Matters and Vice won’t face legal repercussions for disseminating the footage. Angelo Carusone of Media Matters defends publishing the videos, emphasizing the journalistic importance of covering leaked material.