Eric Bolling Biography

Eric Thomas Bolling (born March 2, 1963) is an American television personality, conservative political commentator, author, and financial commentator. He, along with Katherine Timpf and Eboni Williams, co-hosts The Fox News Specialists, a new show that premiered on Fox News on May 1, 2017. Bolling was a co-host of Fox News Channel's The Five at its inception, until it moved to primetime on April 24, 2017. He has occupied numerous roles as a commentator on financial issues for television, most notably for Fox News. Bolling took over as host of the Fox Business Channel news program Cashin' In, replacing fellow FBC anchor Cheryl Casone, who hosted the program from September 2009 until January 2013. In 2016, Bolling published his first literary work, Wake Up America, which became a New York Times best seller. In 2017 he wrote another book, The Swamp: Washington's Murky Pool of Corruption and Cronyism and How Trump Can Drain It. Currently, Bolling is suspended indefinitely from Fox News Channel amid sexual harassment allegations.

Early life

Bolling was born in Chicago and graduated grade school from Queen of All Saints Basilica followed by high school at Loyola Academy. In 1984, he graduated from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida with a BA degree in economics. While at Rollins, Bolling played baseball. He was drafted in 1984 by the Pittsburgh Pirates. His baseball career was cut short by a torn rotator cuff injury.

Career

Bolling was a commodities trader on the New York Mercantile Exchange. He specialized in trading natural gas, crude oil, gold, and other commodities.

After serving five years on the board of directors at the NYMEX (now CME Group), Bolling became a strategic adviser to the exchange's board of directors. He was included in Trader Monthlys Top 100 in 2005 and 2006. Bolling was the recipient of the Maybach Man of the Year Award at the Trader Monthly Awards, January 17, 2007.

Bolling was involved in developing CNBC's Fast Money. Bolling left CNBC in August 2007 and moved to the new Fox Business Network as one of the network's financial analysts. He hosted the business show Happy Hour, which ran opposite Fast Money in the 5 p.m. time slot.

In June 2011 on the Fox Business Network, Bolling criticized President Barack Obama's decision to meet with Gabon's President Ali Bongo Ondimba in the White House. Bolling remarked, "Guess who's coming to dinner? A dictator." He then went on to also criticize Obama for allowing rapper Common to appear in the White House a few weeks before, exclaiming "it's not the first time he's had a hoodlum in the hizzouse." Progressive group Media Matters criticized Bolling, saying "Calling the president of Gabon and Common 'hoods in the hizzy' is not colorful commentary, it is overt racism." Bolling at first defended himself on Twitter claiming that people were baselessly accusing him because he worked for Fox News. Bolling apologized for his comments, saying, "On Friday, we did a story about the President meeting with the president of Gabon. We got a little fast and loose with the language, and we know it's been interpreted as being disrespectful, and for that, I'm sorry."

Bolling served as a co-host of The Five on the Fox News Channel, a roundtable discussion of the top political and cultural stories of the day. Bolling and then co-host political pundit Bob Beckel were known to take strong opposing positions on issues, positions that lead to heated exchanges. The two, however, have developed a mutual respect and friendship, and Bolling possibly saved Beckel's life in 2011 when he performed the Heimlich maneuver on him at a local restaurant. Bolling also serves as guest host on many of the most popular Fox News opinion shows such as Hannity and Fox & Friends (previously The O'Reilly Factor and The Glenn Beck Show).

It was announced on April 19, 2017 that as a result of the prime time lineup change with Bill O'Reilly's exit, that The Five would be moving to the 9pm time slot. The Fox News Specialists was created at the 5pm time slot, replacing The Five, with Bolling as co-host. The new program premiered on May 1, 2017.

Sexual harassment allegations and suspension

In August 2017, Bolling was accused by 14 sources of sending multiple unsolicited lewd text messages to colleagues at Fox News, including sending lewd photos of himself. He is also accused of making "wildly inappropriate" comments to female employees. In response to the accusations, Fox News suspended Bolling pending the outcome of an investigation.

In an emailed response to an inquiry from Philly.com, Bolling's attorney, Michael J. Bowe wrote that "no such unsolicited communications occurred" and that Bolling "will vigorously pursue his legal remedies" in response to the accusations.

Books

• Wake Up America: The Nine Virtues That Made Our Nation Great--and Why We Need Them More Than Ever (2016) 9781250112507
  
• The Swamp: Washington's Murky Pool of Corruption and Cronyism and How Trump Can Drain It (2017) 9781250150189

Personal life

Bolling and his wife Adrienne have one son, Eric Chase. Bolling is Catholic.