UK Daily Mail

By Paul Bentley

Fox News anchor Bill O'Reilly used his police contacts to have his former wife's new boyfriend investigated by officers, it has been reported.

After the couple allegedly separated and his wife of 15 years started seeing a Long Island police officer, Mr O'Reilly is said to have pulled strings to have the man officially investigated and warned to back off.

Sources claim officers were instructed to collaborate with private investigators to dig dirt on Mareen McPhilmy O'Reilly's new boyfriend in the hope of Mr O'Reilly donating money to the police department in return for the favour.

Anchor: Bill O'Reilly and his wife Maureen, who is said to have left him for another man

Mr and Mrs O'Reilly have yet officially to announce a separation or divorce but it has been reported that the couple are living apart after Mrs O'Reilly purchased a separate house in her own name earlier this year.

While Mr O'Reilly's voter registration remains at the family home, hers has been transferred to her new house.

The news anchor, who has been photographed recently without his wedding ring, has also replaced Mrs O'Reilly on his foundation's tax return.

His wife, who has for years been listed as director and vice president of the Winifred and William O'Reilly Foundation, no longer appears on official documentation - replaced by Mr O'Reilly's former college room mate Edgar Royce.

According to Gawker, an officer named Richard Harasym, from the Nassau County Police Department, was last summer asked by his commanding officer Neil Delargy to launch an investigation into Mr O'Reilly's wife's boyfriend.

He was reportedly told to meet two private detectives already on the case finding out information about the NCPD officer and then warn him to end the relationship.

A source, who claims to have heard the account from Harasym and provided emails to support his claims, said: 'He told me: "You'll never guess what happened to me the other day.

'"Do you know Bill O'Reilly? I got called into my boss's office saying they wanted me to meet with these two PI's working for O'Reilly to go over some information because a detective was having an affair with O'Reilly's wife".'

The officer was offered no explanation as to why he had to perform the task other than the alleged infidelity.

Bare fingered: O'Reilly is seen in this photograph without a wedding ring

'The order was to investigate this detective not for any misdeeds,' the told Gawker. 'But to see if they could get anything on him. Delargy also told him to tell the detective to back off.'

It is alleged that the order came directly from the police commissioner at the time, Lawrence Mulvey, for whom O'Reilly was said to have been considering making a major donation to the Nassau County Police Department Foundation.

'These internal affairs cops were on the case at the behest of Mulvey in order to get O'Reilly's funds,' the source added.

Officer Harasym allegedly refused the assignment on principle before being transferred from the department several months later.

Commissioner Mulvey retied in April but seemed aware of the case when contacted to comment.

'I don't know if the investigation is ongoing or concluded,' he told Gawker, 'so I wouldn't comment. But I will tell you this much: I was never contacted by Bill O'Reilly or anyone associated with him and asked to launch an investigation.'

Deleted: Tax records show the former wife has was removed last year from records

He did, however, confirm that he knew Mr O'Reilly personally.

The president of the NCPD Foundation did not reply to requests for comment.

A second source, a former Fox News staffer, said that last summer Mr O'Reilly's nephew Brandon Ricci, who worked on The O'Reilly Factor, told colleagues his aunt had been having an affair with a 'local sheriff'.

A Fox News spokesman said: 'Gawker has been lying about Fox News for several years. We are not going to dignify this with any further comment.'

Officer Delargy chose not to comment.

Officer Harasym said: 'Anything related to the police department, I can't talk about. I can't tell you anything.'

Detective Lieutenant Kevin Smith, a spokesman for the NCPD, said: 'It's not our policy to identify complainants in cases, and we don't divulge information about administrative investigations.

'Usually, investigations are opened after someone comes forward to complain about the activity of an officer, and we don't want to discourage people from coming forward.'

When asked if a possible affair could be grounds for investigation, the spokesman said: 'It could be. If a person comes to us and has a complaint, no matter how frivolous it appears to be, we look into it. We don't look lightly on citizen complaints.'