Fox News Suspends Gingrich, Santorum Until They Decide on Prez Runs

NEW YORK (The Blaze/AP) -- Fox News Channel says it has suspended contributors Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum for two months as the men explore a possible White House run.

The network, in an on-air announcement by Bret Baier on Wednesday, said the contracts for the two men will be suspended until May 1. Their contracts will be terminated unless they notify the network by then that they are not running for president.

Both Gingrich, the former House speaker, and former Pennsylvania senator Santorum have not declared candidacies. But they have signaled that they are seriously considering a run for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012.

Rumors have circulated that Gingrich was set to announce the formation of a presidential exploratory committee on Thursday. On Wednesday, however, his spokesman did his best to silence those rumors by saying, "To be clear, while Speaker Gingrich is in Georgia on Thursday, he will NOT announce the formation of an exploratory committee."

The news network has other potential candidates on its payroll, including Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee, but their status was not addressed on Wednesday.

“This is the announcement that’s being made today,” Baier said, but “it does not preclude other announcements that may be made in the future” about other Fox employees who are flirting with White House runs.