The Los Angeles Times’ former publisher and editor, Davan Maharaj, reportedly received a $2.5-million settlement following his exit from Tribune Publishing Co. after revealing to a mediator he had recorded anti-Semitic comments allegedly made by the company’s largest shareholder, Michael Ferro.

The payout, which was unusually large for a newspaper executive, came at a time when the company was laying off employees amid a downturn in advertising.

In 2016, shortly after taking control of the newspaper company, Ferro allegedly complained that his business pursuits were being thwarted by a “Jewish cabal” in Los Angeles that included billionaire philanthropist Eli Broad, according to a report Wednesday by National Public Radio.

NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik reported the remarks were made during a gathering of newspaper executives at a dinner near the Chicago headquarters of the company, which also owns the Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun and Orlando Sentinel.

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