Fox News settled a defamation case Tuesday introduced by Dominion Voting Systems over allegations aired by the community that the 2020 presidential election was rigged partially by Dominion’s voting machines.
Dominion had sought $1.6 billion from Fox News, however simply earlier than opening statements started — and with a jury already picked — the trial got here to a halt.
The legal professionals had met with the choose for about two hours and agreed to settle the dispute. The precise quantity isn’t recognized, however CNN reported the quantity was for $787.5 million.
Fox didn’t disclose the quantity, as is typical in settlements.
“We are pleased to have reached a settlement of our dispute with Dominion Voting Systems,” Fox mentioned in a press release. “We acknowledge the Court’s rulings finding certain claims about Dominion to be false. This settlement reflects FOX’s continued commitment to the highest journalistic standards. We are hopeful that our decision to resolve this dispute with Dominion amicably, instead of the acrimony of a divisive trial, allows the country to move forward from these issues.”
Meanwhile, Dominion’s attorneys thanked the media for following the case, saying they’ll proceed to pursue accountability from different retailers as properly.
“We will see you at the next one,” mentioned Davida Brook, a lawyer for Dominion.
The discovery course of uncovered that Fox officers — in non-public texts and emails — doubted claims that the 2020 election was rigged.
Dominion accused Fox of libel for repeatedly airing, within the weeks after the 2020 presidential election, false allegations by Trump allies that its machines and the software program they used had switched votes to Democrat Joe Biden — regardless that many on the community doubted the claims and disparaged these making them.
Records launched as a part of the lawsuit confirmed how Fox hosts and executives aired the claims partially to win again viewers who have been fleeing the community after it appropriately referred to as hotly contested Arizona for Mr. Biden on election evening.
During a deposition, Fox Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch, who based the information community, testified that he believed the 2020 election was truthful and had not been stolen from the previous president.
“Fox knew the truth,” Dominion argued in court docket papers. “It knew the allegations against Dominion were ‘outlandish’ and ‘crazy’ and ‘ludicrous’ and ‘nuts.’ Yet it used the power and influence of its platform to promote that false story.”
Still, whereas overlaying the settlement announcement, Fox News host Neil Cavuto mentioned the community didn’t admit to defaming the voting machine firm.
“Fox had denied any wrongdoing,” Mr. Cavuto mentioned.
Fox had argued the statements weren’t defamation and have been protected below the “fair report” privilege and as opinion.
A mountain of proof — launched within the type of deposition transcripts, inner memos and emails from the time — was damaging to Fox even when a number of the materials was solely tangentially associated to the libel argument.
Much of the fabric confirmed a community successfully petrified of its viewers after its election evening declaration that Mr. Biden had received Arizona. The race name infuriated Mr. Trump and plenty of viewers who supported him.
One of Fox’s high information anchors, Bret Baier, famous the viewers’s anger and instructed rescinding the decision, even awarding the state to Trump.
“We don’t want to antagonize Trump further,” Mr. Murdoch mentioned in a Nov. 16 memo.
Mr. Biden narrowly received Arizona, however two executives chargeable for the correct election evening name misplaced their jobs due to it two months later. In an inner memo, Mr. Murdoch talked in mid-November about firing them.
Fox executives and anchors mentioned how to not alienate the viewers, lots of whom believed Mr. Trump’s claims of fraud regardless of no proof to again them up. Fox’s Tucker Carlson instructed a information reporter be fired for tweeting a truth examine debunking the fraud claims.
Some of the reveals have been merely embarrassing, corresponding to scornful behind-the-scenes opinions about Mr. Trump, together with a Carlson textual content message that mentioned, “I hate him passionately.”
— This article relies partially on wire-service reviews.
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