Dirty: Gawker Paid the 'Fox Mole' a Pittance to Wreck His Career

Five grand. Sucker.

What’s the going rate for inducing someone to commit career suicide?  Apparently you can do it for five grand, as long as that person has a sufficiently large ax to grind against his employer.

Gawker’s John Cook tells me the gossip website paid Joe Muto $5,000 for his contributions as “The Fox Mole.” Muto, a former producer on “The O’Reilly Factor,” had intended to remain anonymous, but it took the network less than 24 hours to figure out where the leaks were coming from and have him escorted out.

Fox suspended Muto with pay, but the disclosure that Gawker paid him to betray them probably ends that.

Gawker made some money on page views. Muto’s name is stained for good. If a conservative side did this, it would be accused of exploitation.