As bus tour continues, Sarah Palin checks in with Fox News execs

After visiting Ellis Island in New York on Wednesday, Sarah Palin swung by the midtown Manhattan headquarters of Fox News, where she met with senior executives, including network chief Roger Ailes.

It’s unclear whether network officials pressed Palin on her political intentions during the drop-by. The channel did not share any details of the meeting, except to release a statement from Bill Shine, executive vice president of programming, who said: “Right now there is no change in her status with Fox News.”

Earlier this spring, the network suspended contributors Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum as they began exploring presidential bids, saying it would be a conflict of interest to continue having them on the air as paid commentators.

Palin has yet to build a traditional campaign infrastructure or set up a federal campaign committee, but she said in recent days that she is “contemplating” a White House bid. She plans to make stops in the key nominating states of New Hampshire, Iowa and South Carolina as part of her “One Nation” bus tour, according to the website RealClearPolitics.

Palin’s New York stop comes on the fourth day of her “One Nation” tour. In visits to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, Palin praised the work of immigrants building the nation.

“We want to make sure that we’re highlighting that on our bus tour, maybe so that the present-day immigrants know how much we appreciate them and their work ethic, and their love of country and freedom,” she said, according to Politico.

She is believed to be heading next to Boston.

matea.gold@latimes.com

Michael A. Memoli contributed to this report.