A New York judge has blocked former Irish American Fox host Bill O'Reilly's attempt to quash subpoenas served to his accountant and attorney in the ongoing legal battle against his ex-wife.
According to DailyMail.com, Michael Klar, the attorney of Maureen McPhilmy, had sought to obtain 22 years worth of O'Reilly's tax returns and financial documents from the tv pundit's personal accountant.
Klar had sought the paperwork from O'Reilly's personal accountant Evan R. Bell from 1995 to 2010.
Klar argued that the financial records will prove O'Reilly freely entered into a separation deal and the subsequent judgment of divorce.
According to Klar, the agreement would have financially benefited O'Reilly more than the couple's pre-existing prenuptial agreement.
Jezebel.com writes that O'Reilly's latest maneuver is veiled in secrecy.
"Under New York law, civil fraud lawsuits are public by default. But soon after initiating legal proceedings against McPhilmy and her former lawyer, Michael Klar, O’Reilly successfully petitioned two Long Island judges to seal some or all of both cases. The magistrate overseeing his suit against Klar agreed to seal most of the filings, while the one assigned to his suit against McPhilmy ordered the sealing of the entire docket. "
The publication also adds, "O’Reilly’s success in sealing this pair of cases means that it is virtually impossible, beyond his vague accusations of infidelity and deceit, to determine why he is suing his ex-wife and her legal counsel for civil fraud.
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The former Fox News host filed a $10 million dollar lawsuit against his ex-wife in 2016, claiming she tricked him into signing their "unreasonable" 2011 divorce settlement under false pretenses.
In a recent court order, the judge denied O'Reilly's request in part, instead ordering his accountant to produce relevant records dating from 2007 to 2010 only.
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O'Reilly and Maureen McPhilmy married in 1996, and endured a bitter public divorce battle in 2011.
The 67-year-old journalist was fired by Fox News earlier this year amid growing accusations of sexual harassment.
McPhilmy, who has two children with the disgraced tv anchor, previously claimed she was attacked by her then-husband after she found him having phone sex in their bedroom in December 2009.
In 2015, a court also heard that O’Reilly and McPhilmy’s daughter Madeline had witnessed her father drag her mother by the neck down a staircase.
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