Fox News to pay $787.5 million to avoid 2020 presidential defamation lawsuit

A last-minute deal on Tuesday to pay US broadcaster Fox News US$787.5 million to electronic voting machine company Dominion saved it from an embarrassing lawsuit over the 2020 presidential election.

“We are pleased to have reached a settlement in our dispute with Dominion Voting Systems,” the American conservatives’ favorite chain said in a press release shortly after the presiding judge announced the settlement between the parties. , in the Superior Court of the State of Delaware.

The channel also said it “acknowledges the court’s ruling that found some of the claims about Dominion to be false,” adding that the judge in an order on March 31 “is clear that there are no claims against Dominion in the 2020 election. [n’était] True”.

“Effects”

“There are consequences for lies,” assured Justin Nelson, a lawyer for Dominion, the amount Fox News agreed to pay: $787.5 million. The firm he is defending initially sought US$1.6 billion.

The deal saves the pearl of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire from suffering the “defamation trial of the century.” The New York Times. Rupert Murdoch, 92, has a chance to testify on the stand.

We are pleased that our dispute with Dominion Voting Systems has been resolved.

Even before the proceedings, the process led to an embarrassing unpacking for Fox News, with the chain’s stars and even Rupert Murdoch releasing emails or text messages in November 2020 that showed they were not convinced by the situation. A rigged election, while accusations grew in the air.

The trial was eagerly anticipated in the United States, where it was seen as a test of the limits of freedom of expression, guaranteed by the Constitution’s First Amendment, and a fight against misinformation.

With jury selection wrapping up Tuesday, deliberations were about to begin in earnest.

Dominion, which ran in 28 states in the presidential election won by Joe Biden, was the pet of Donald Trump’s closest guard, who has long and baselessly accused it of being used to rig the ballot.

“Really Crazy”

Many Donald Trump voters still believe the election was stolen from them today, and this challenge culminated on January 6, 2021, when thousands of his supporters stormed the Capitol, the heart of democracy. November 2020 Election Results.

If the court case were found to be strong, the company would still have to establish a deliberate intent to lie to Fox News, and the jury would have to reach a unanimous verdict.

To be in the conservative camp, but constantly accused of echoing conspiracy theories, Fox News played big and wanted to turn the investigation into a symbolic case for press freedom.

According to the chain, it was legitimate for the Trump camp to give it a platform as it competed in the polls and it was “vital to the search for truth” for all parties to express themselves.

However, Dominion relied on internal debates to argue that Fox News was deliberately lying to avoid losing the audience it won to Donald Trump.

A “truly crazy thing. And damaging,” wrote Big Boss Rupert Murdoch of the Trump allegations against Fox News boss Suzanne Scott on November 19, 2020.

“She should be fired,” one of the network’s stars, Tucker Carlson, said in a tweet by a network reporter brushing off allegations of cheating.

“This is affecting the business significantly. The stock price has gone down. This is no joke,” he added.

Fox News accused Dominion News of truncated and biased selection.

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