WHY THE AIR'S SO NOXIOUS IN THE BUBBLE:

An internal Fox News research briefing book obtained by The Daily Beast openly questions Fox News contributor John Solomon's credibility, accusing him of playing an "indispensable role" in a Ukrainian "disinformation campaign."

The document also accuses frequent Fox News guest Rudy Giuliani of amplifying disinformation, as part of an effort to oust former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, and blasts Fox News guests Victoria Toensing and Joe diGenova--both ardent Trump boosters--for "spreading disinformation."  

The 162-page document, entitled "Ukraine, Disinformation, & the Trump Administration," was created by Fox News senior political affairs specialist Bryan S. Murphy, who produces research from what is known as the network's Brain Room--a newsroom division of researchers who provide information, data, and topic guides for the network's programming.

The research brief is especially critical of Solomon, a former opinion columnist at The Hill whose opinion pieces about Ukraine made unsubstantiated claims about its government interfering in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Solomon's pieces for The Hill fueled Giuliani's efforts to dig up dirt in Ukraine, which eventually helped lead to President Donald Trump's impeachment. Trump has also frequently cited Solomon's questionable reporting on Twitter in his own defense.

While Solomon is portrayed on Sean Hannity's show as a crusading "investigative reporter"--despite The Hill overtly branding him an opinion columnist--the Brain Room document accuses the contributor of taking part in a Ukrainian smear campaign. "John Solomon played an indispensable role in the collection and domestic publication of elements of this disinformation campaign," the Fox briefing book notes. 

Those smears, according to the briefing, were driven by people like disgraced former Ukrainian prosecutor Yuriy Lutsenko and the allies of Dmytro Firtash, an indicted Ukrainian oligarch and accused high-level Russian mafia associate (an accusation he denies). Both Lutsenko and Firtash have been seen as forces driving Giuliani's efforts in Ukraine to dig up dirt on Trump's political enemies.

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