No. 1-rated Fox News has re-signed former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown to continue providing expert analysis and commentary to the network, contrary to an earlier report in The Boston Globe indicating that Brown and Fox would be parting ways.
"Sen. Brown has renewed his contributor agreement with Fox News," stated Bill Shine, executive vice president of programming for Fox News, in a statement released Wednesday. "The previous yearlong agreement expired on Feb. 11, and was never terminated — this was purely administrative.
"We look forward to his continuing political analysis and insight across the network," Shine's statement concluded.
A report in
Tuesday's Boston Globe stated that Brown, a Republican, was no longer under contract with Fox.
The Washington Post reported Wednesday morning, however, that Brown said The Boston Globe report "is incorrect." Shine's statement confirms that Brown remains with the network and was not terminated.
The Globe report fueled rampant speculation that the former senator is prepping for a Senate run in New Hampshire against incumbent Democrat Jeanne Shaheen. Recent statewide polls show Brown and Shaheen locked in a virtual dead heat, should Brown elect to run.
June marks the deadline for Brown to file to get on the primary ballot in New Hampshire. But he has yet to reveal whether he'll throw his hat in the ring.
The former senator scored a surprise victory in 2010 to fill the unexpired Massachusetts Senate seat following the death of Sen. Edward Kennedy. But Brown was defeated in 2012 by Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
A Brown candidacy could greatly bolster GOP hopes of seizing control of the Senate in November. Republicans must score a net gain of six seats to reclaim the majority.
Also on Tuesday, the New Hampshire Republican State Committee said Brown would speak at the Northeast Republican Leadership Conference in Nashua next month, the Globe reports.
Brown's PAC recently donated $5,000 to the committee, according to the newspaper.
"As I have been out and about and hearing from activists, there has been a tremendous amount of support expressed by them for a Scott Brown candidacy," Jennifer Horn, the state GOP chairwoman, told the Globe.
The two-day event is expected to feature such 2016 GOP presidential hopefuls as Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Rep. Peter King of New York, and former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania,
according to the committee's website.
Others expected to appear include New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte and MSNBC host and former Florida Rep. Joe Scarborough.
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