Fox Business anchor Charles Payne calls harassment allegations a ‘lie’

Fox Business Network host Charles Payne pushed back on allegations of sexual harassment that have been levied against him, taking to Twitter to defend himself.

"That is an ugly lie I vehemently deny to my core. There is a mountain of proof that also proves its a lie," Payne said in a statement that was posted Friday morning.

Fox Business Network said Thursday night it had suspended the anchor "pending further investigation" after the Los Angeles Times disclosed the network had received notice of allegations.

See his response in the gallery below:

"We take issues of this nature extremely seriously and have a zero tolerance policy for any professional misconduct. This matter is being thoroughly investigated and we are taking all of the appropriate steps to reach a resolution in a timely manner," the network said in a statement.

A female political analyst who has appeared on Fox News as well as CNN has contacted the law firm of Paul Weiss, which has been working for Fox for several months, alleging she was banned from Fox after ending an extramarital affair she had with the anchor in 2015, according to a report in The Los Angeles Times. An attorney for Payne told the Times the anchor denied sexually harassing the woman. The analyst alleged her Fox appearances were reduced after she terminated the relationship.

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