# Ken LaCorte

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Former Fox News executive (born 1965)

Ken LaCorte Born (1965-02-05) February 5, 1965 (age 61)[1] Alhambra, California, U.S. Education Claremont McKenna College State University of New York Occupations Media executive, journalist, YouTuber YouTube information Channel Elephants in Rooms - Ken LaCorte Years active 2023–present Genres Informational Factual Education Politics History Subscribers 618 thousand Views 36.3 million Last updated: March 26, 2026 Website kenlacorte.substack.com

**Ken LaCorte** (born February 5, 1965) is an American media executive, journalist, businessman, and YouTuber. He was an executive at [Fox News](/source/Fox_News) for over eighteen years, joining in 1999 as Western Region bureau chief before rising to head of news editorial (2003) and vice president/senior executive producer of FoxNews.com (2006–2016), where he oversaw all editorial content and digital operations.[2]

After leaving Fox, he founded LaCorte News, a digital outlet he described as intended to "restore trust in journalism". He operated the partisan sites [Conservative Edition News](/source/Conservative_Edition_News) and [Liberal Edition News](/source/Liberal_Edition_News) which used clickbait content to drive traffic to fund LaCorte News.[3] Since 2023, he has hosted the YouTube channel [Elephants in Rooms](https://www.youtube.com/@ElephantsInRooms), which focuses on politics, history, and popular culture.[4]

## Early life and education

LaCorte's grandparents lived in a small village in [Sicily](/source/Sicily).[5] He was born in [Alhambra, California](/source/Alhambra%2C_California), on February 5, 1965.[1]

He attended [Claremont McKenna College](/source/Claremont_McKenna_College)[6][7] and earned a bachelor's degree in government in 1987.[1] He received a master’s degree in professional studies in 1988 from the [State University of New York](/source/State_University_of_New_York).[1][*[which?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Avoid_weasel_words)*][*[better source needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability#Questionable_sources)*]

## Career

LaCorte began his career as a communications specialist.[6][7] In the late 1980s and early 1990s, he worked as a [media consultant](/source/Media_consultant) for companies and political candidates in the [United States](/source/United_States) and internationally, including presidential campaigns in [Colombia](/source/Colombia), [Guatemala](/source/Guatemala), and [Venezuela](/source/Venezuela).[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] In 1997, he was the marketing manager for [Healthline](/source/Healthline) Medical.[1] In 1998, he ran as a Republican primary candidate in [California's 44th State Assembly District](/source/California's_44th_State_Assembly_district).[1] The *[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)* reported that he was a member of the [National Rifle Association of America](/source/National_Rifle_Association_of_America) and opposed stricter gun control legislation with the exception of handguns for felons and automatic weapons.[8]

In 1997, he challenged California law by publishing the state's [Megan's Law](/source/Megan's_Law) list.[9] Despite a warning from the state's Attorney General [Dan Lungren](/source/Dan_Lungren), LaCorte hand copied the names of the state's high risk [sex offenders](/source/Sex_offenders) and published them online. In 2004, California published the Megan's Law database on the internet.[9]

LaCorte worked in senior management[10] for [Fox News Channel](/source/Fox_News_Channel) for nearly two decades.[3] He became the Bureau Chief for the channel's western region in 1998 and the Director of News Editorial in 2003.[6] LaCorte was made the Vice President of Fox News Digital in 2006[2] where he oversaw editorial content of the website.[11] During his tenure at Fox News Digital, the site underperformed against CNN even while Fox News Channel dominated the cable news ratings.[12]

LaCorte was one of network chief [Roger Ailes](/source/Roger_Ailes)'s most trusted acolytes. He was part of Ailes's "[Black Room](/source/Black_room)," a secret unit used to conduct surveillance on Fox News employees and perceived rivals of the network. Websites were set up to attack reporters, and private investigators were dispatched to follow journalists and prepare dossiers that would be leaked to blogs such as "Cable Game." LaCorte engaged in negative PR campaigns to promote Ailes's personal grievances against journalists and Fox News critics.[13] The network sent him to [Gaza City](/source/Gaza_City) in 2006 to press for the release of kidnapped Fox News journalists [Steve Centanni](/source/Steve_Centanni) and [Olaf Wiig](/source/Olaf_Wiig).[14][15]

At the end of 2016, LaCorte was pushed out of Fox News during the post-Ailes "corporate purge".[10] With a $1 million investment, he partnered with [John Moody](/source/John_Moody_(journalist)), a former Fox News executive and longtime Ailes ally, to form *LaCorte News* in 2018.[16] LaCorte also recruited former [NPR](/source/NPR) editorial director and [New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) editor [Michael Oreskes](/source/Michael_Oreskes) to join him at *LaCorte News* with the stated goal of "restoring faith in media." John Moody left Fox after posting a racially inflammatory column, and Michael Oreskes was ousted from an executive position at NPR due to alleged sexual harassment.[17]

### Alleged Fox News Trump-Daniels cover-up

In March 2019, [Jane Mayer](/source/Jane_Mayer) reported in *[The New Yorker](/source/The_New_Yorker)* that Fox News reporter [Diana Falzone](/source/Diana_Falzone) had the story of the [Stormy Daniels–Donald Trump scandal](/source/Stormy_Daniels%E2%80%93Donald_Trump_scandal) before the 2016 election, but that LaCorte told her, "Good reporting, kiddo. But [Rupert](/source/Rupert_Murdoch) [Murdoch] wants Donald Trump to win. So just let it go," and the story was killed.[10] LaCorte denied making the statement to Falzone and said he killed the story because the evidence was not there, saying, "I was the person who made the call. I didn't run it upstairs to [Roger Ailes](/source/Roger_Ailes) or others...I didn't do it to protect Donald Trump," adding "[Falzone] had put up a story that just wasn't anywhere close to being something I was comfortable publishing" and pointing to ways he said Falzone's article failed to meet his journalistic standards of verification.[18] [Nik Richie](/source/Nik_Richie), who claimed to be one of the sources for the Falzone story, called LaCorte's account "complete bullshit," adding "Fox News was culpable. I voted for Trump, and I like Fox, but they did their own '[catch and kill](/source/Catch_and_kill)' on the story to protect him."[10] Both Falzone and LaCorte argued that Fox News should lift the NDA so the full story could come out.[19]

In 2022, LaCorte defended his decision, saying that Daniels and Falzone were not interested in publishing the scandal but were using the media to extort Trump. According to him, Daniels refused to go on record and, after Trump paid her, avoided media outlets. He said the criticism directed at him and Fox was unjustified and pointed to other outlets that did not cover the story. He added that Trump was innocent and that Daniels should be in prison.[20]

### LaCorte News

In November 2019, a *[New York Times](/source/New_York_Times)* report alleged that LaCorte used "Russian tactics"[*[clarification needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Please_clarify)*] to push inflammatory content on the websites *[Conservative Edition News](/source/Conservative_Edition_News)* and *[Liberal Edition News](/source/Liberal_Edition_News)*, which he controlled. LaCorte's ownership of the sites was not publicly known until the *NYT* investigation, conducted jointly with the Virginia security firm Nisos.[3] The investigation found that the sites repeatedly published false news and hyperbolic content designed to inflame political tensions, and concluded that "the adoption of Russian tactics by profit-motivated Americans had made it much harder to track disinformation."[3]

LaCorte defended the operation, saying he ran the partisan sites to drive traffic and raise revenue for his centrist outlet *LaCorte News*, stating, "I wanted to try to find middle ground." He acknowledged hiring [Macedonian](/source/North_Macedonia) writers from [Veles](/source/Veles%2C_North_Macedonia), a town described by reporters as "home to a collection of writers who churned out disinformation during the 2016 presidential election in the United States."[11]

In late November 2019, the [Facebook](/source/Facebook) pages for *Conservative Edition News* and *Liberal Edition News* were shut down for [terms of service](/source/Terms_of_service) violations that included manipulation of site privileges and engagement with Macedonian "[troll farms](/source/Troll_farms)".[21] The shutdown effectively ended LaCorte News.

### Hunter Biden laptop story

In October 2020, LaCorte was among the first to publish material from the [Hunter Biden laptop](/source/Hunter_Biden_laptop_controversy). According to *The Daily Beast*, repair shop owner John Paul Mac Isaac contacted LaCorte through Fox News connections, despite Mac Isaac's stated preference that law enforcement investigate the contents of the laptop. On October 15, 2020, LaCorte released 29 PDFs he said contained emails from Hunter Biden's iCloud account. Metadata from the archive showed the files containing copies of these emails - but not the emails themselves - were created the evening of October 14, after the story was already published by [New York Post](/source/New_York_Post).[13](subscription required)

### Ties to Rumen Naumovski

In October 2025, *[Rolling Stone](/source/Rolling_Stone)* reported that Rumen Naumovski, a Macedonian citizen who had never visited the United States, had previously worked for LaCorte. Naumovski operates the [X](/source/X_(social_network)) accounts *Defiant L's* and *Resist the Mainstream*, which together have more than two million followers and have been amplified by figures including [Elon Musk](/source/Elon_Musk), [Nancy Mace](/source/Nancy_Mace), [Mike Lee](/source/Mike_Lee), [Ron Watkins](/source/Ron_Watkins) and [Eli Crane](/source/Eli_Crane). Both accounts focus on American politics, frequently alleging corruption and [election fraud](/source/Electoral_fraud) by [Democrats](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)). LaCorte has publicly described Naumovski as a close friend and has written about Naumovski's attempts to emigrate.[22]

### Elephants in Rooms

Since 2023, LaCorte has hosted the YouTube channel [Elephants in Rooms](https://www.youtube.com/@ElephantsInRooms),[4] which covers politics, history, popular culture, and topics he describes as underreported, including conspiracy theories, demography, discrimination, and alleged cover-ups. As of April 2026, the channel had over 750,000 subscribers and 36.3 million total views.[4]

## Personal life

LaCorte was born in [Alhambra, California](/source/Alhambra%2C_California), and grew up in [Arcadia, California](/source/Arcadia%2C_California). As of 2024, he was in a relationship with [Claudia Cowan](/source/Claudia_Cowan), Fox News's senior correspondent. Both are divorced with grown children.[23]

In February 1976, LaCorte's sister Cathy LaCorte and her boyfriend Bob Morton were murdered while hiking near Arcadia. The killer, Richard Johnson, was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder. The experience led LaCorte's family to become active in California's victims' rights movement, advocating for parole reform and contributing to the passage of [Proposition 8 (1982), the Victim's Bill of Rights](/source/1982_California_Proposition_8).[24][25]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:0_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-:0_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-:0_1-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-:0_1-5) ["The following candidates are running in the Valley's primary election on Tuesday"](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-may-31-me-55211-story.html). *Los Angeles Times*. May 31, 1998. Retrieved April 24, 2021.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:7_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:7_2-1) Banco, Erin; Baragona, Justin; Rawnsley, Adam; Howell, Jordan (October 23, 2020). ["Notorious Former Fox Exec at Center of Attempted Hunter Biden Takedown"](https://www.thedailybeast.com/notorious-former-fox-exec-ken-lacorte-at-center-of-attempted-hunter-biden-takedown). *The Daily Beast*. Retrieved April 24, 2021.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Perlroth_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Perlroth_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Perlroth_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Perlroth_3-3) Perlroth, Nicole (November 21, 2019). ["A Former Fox News Executive Divides Americans Using Russian Tactics"](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/21/technology/LaCorte-edition-news.html). *The New York Times*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20191122011622/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/21/technology/LaCorte-edition-news.html) from the original on November 22, 2019. Retrieved November 22, 2019.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:8_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:8_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:8_4-2) ["Elephants in Rooms - Ken LaCorte"](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb8sfMalVgTMvA68dfKzA5Q). *YouTube*. Retrieved July 25, 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Elephants in Rooms - Ken LaCorte (January 16, 2025). [*Why are humans vanishing?*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nms4BMOuDeE). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20250820210321/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nms4BMOuDeE&pp=0gcJCa0JAYcqIYzv) from the original on August 20, 2025. Retrieved August 16, 2025 – via YouTube.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:1_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:1_6-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:1_6-2) ["News Corp Ltd-cl B : Ken Lacorte Named Vice President and Senior Executive Producer of Foxnews.com"](https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/NEWS-CORP-13846/news/News-Corp-Ltd-cl-B-nbsp-Ken-Lacorte-Named-Vice-President-and-Senior-Executive-Producer-of-Foxnews-253183/). *MarketScreener*. November 15, 2006. Retrieved April 24, 2021.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:2_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:2_7-1) ["Galleria Opportunities to Complete RTO With QYOU Media and Raise $4 Million"](https://www.bloomberg.com/press-releases/2017-02-17/galleria-opportunities-to-complete-rto-with-qyou-media-and-raise-4-million). *Bloomberg*. February 17, 2017. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210424235405/https://www.bloomberg.com/press-releases/2017-02-17/galleria-opportunities-to-complete-rto-with-qyou-media-and-raise-4-million) from the original on April 24, 2021. Retrieved April 24, 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Jack Scott (D) vs. Ken LaCorte (R)"](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-oct-09-me-30725-story.html). *Los Angeles Times*. October 9, 1998. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210425050510/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-oct-09-me-30725-story.html) from the original on April 25, 2021. Retrieved April 24, 2021.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:3_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:3_9-1) Rath, Tiare (August 14, 1997). [""Megan's law" taken online"](https://www.cnet.com/news/megans-law-taken-online/). *CNET*. Retrieved March 12, 2019.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service))

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:4_10-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:4_10-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:4_10-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-:4_10-3) Mayer, Jane (March 4, 2019). ["The Making of the Fox News White House"](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/03/11/the-making-of-the-fox-news-white-house). *The New Yorker*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20201211045411/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/03/11/the-making-of-the-fox-news-white-house) from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2021.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:5_11-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:5_11-1) Katz, A. J. (November 22, 2019). ["Former Fox News Exec Ken LaCorte Admits to Hiring Writers to Create Inflammatory Content for Partisan Websites"](https://adweek.it/2ObDxjJ). *Adweek*. Retrieved April 25, 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["One Thing CNN Does Better Than Fox News Channel: Getting People To Read Its Website"](https://www.businessinsider.com/one-thing-cnn-does-better-than-fox-news-channel-getting-people-to-read-its-website-2010-8). *Business Insider*. Retrieved March 25, 2026.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:6_13-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:6_13-1) ["Notorious Former Fox Exec at Center of Attempted Hunter Biden Takedown"](https://www.thedailybeast.com/notorious-former-fox-exec-ken-lacorte-at-center-of-attempted-hunter-biden-takedown/). *The Daily Beast*. October 23, 2020. Retrieved March 24, 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Estrella, Cicero A. (August 22, 2006). ["Family fears for U.S. journalist kidnapped in Gaza Strip / Captors unknown, and no demands have been made"](https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Family-fears-for-U-S-journalist-kidnapped-in-2513360.php). *SFGATE*. Retrieved April 25, 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** ["Wiig family's fears mount"](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/wiig-familys-fears-mount/WC46JC3J2FMY4HKY522BLJXYQU/). *[The New Zealand Herald](/source/The_New_Zealand_Herald)*. August 20, 2006. Retrieved April 25, 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** Bond, Paul (May 24, 2018). ["Former Fox News Execs to Launch Digital Outlet: "We're Not Breitbart Lite""](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/fox-news-execs-launch-digital-news-outlet-were-not-breitbart-lite-1114546). *The Hollywood Reporter*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210425010121/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/fox-news-execs-launch-digital-news-outlet-were-not-breitbart-lite-1114546) from the original on April 25, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** Schwartz, Jason (December 18, 2018). ["Ousted NPR news chief, ex-Fox News execs team up on new site"](https://www.politico.com/story/2018/12/18/ousted-npr-news-chief-ex-fox-news-execs-team-up-on-new-site-1068672). Politico. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20181219194300/https://www.politico.com/story/2018/12/18/ousted-npr-news-chief-ex-fox-news-execs-team-up-on-new-site-1068672) from the original on December 19, 2018. Retrieved December 19, 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** ["Former Head of FoxNews.Com Denies Trump-Porn Star Story Was Ignored: 'Easy Call to Make'"](https://www.mediaite.com/online/former-head-of-foxnews-com-denies-trump-porn-star-story-was-ignored-easy-call-to-make/). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20201230125534/https://www.mediaite.com/online/former-head-of-foxnews-com-denies-trump-porn-star-story-was-ignored-easy-call-to-make/) from the original on December 30, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** Valero, Maria (March 10, 2019). ["Ex-Fox News Reporter Diana Falzone Wants Murdoch to Lift NDA"](https://web.archive.org/web/20190310023109/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-09/ex-fox-news-reporter-diana-falzone-wants-murdoch-to-lift-nda). *[Bloomberg News](/source/Bloomberg_News)*. Archived from [the original](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-09/ex-fox-news-reporter-diana-falzone-wants-murdoch-to-lift-nda) on March 10, 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-20)** ["My front-row seat to Stormy's shakedown | Blaze Media"](https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/my-front-row-seat-to-stormys-shakedown). *www.theblaze.com*. Retrieved March 24, 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-21)** Zakrzewski, Cat (November 22, 2019). ["The Technology 202: Bits, Nibbles and Bytes"](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/the-technology-202/2019/11/22/the-technology-202-getting-digital-evidence-can-be-hard-for-police-this-bill-would-create-a-new-office-to-help/5dd6c77b602ff1184c316778/). *The Washington Post*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-22)** Sweet, Jacqueline (October 8, 2025). ["The Viral MAGA Accounts Run by a Man Who Has Never Been to America"](https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/viral-maga-social-media-accounts-rumen-naumovski-1235441739/). *Rolling Stone*. Retrieved March 24, 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-23)** Pardini, Jennifer Massoni (July 24, 2024). ["Designer Docks and Rock-Solid Community Among the Floating Homes of Sausalito"](https://www.nobhillgazette.com/style_and_design/interior_design/designer-docks-among-the-floating-homes-of-sausalito/article_3bdf5504-42d5-11ef-beee-17c2fbba2b0b.html). *nobhillgazette.com*. Retrieved March 22, 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-24)** LaCorte, Ken (February 17, 2023). ["I need your help keeping a killer in prison"](https://kenlacorte.substack.com/p/i-need-your-help-keeping-a-killer). *Substack*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-25)** LaCorte, Ken (2025). [*Crime, Justice and Politics Through the Lens of My Sister's Murder*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kM8pKoBRQIw). *YouTube* – via Elephants in Rooms.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ken LaCorte](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_LaCorte) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_LaCorte?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.