Originally published April 19, 2023 7:00 am PDT
Fox News has agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems $787 million, avoiding a trial in the defamation case brought against the news channel.
QUICK FACTS:
- Fox News has agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems a $787 million settlement, in order to avoid a trial in the defamation case the electronic voting company brought against the cable news network.
- Dominion sued Fox Corporation for $1.6 billion in March 2021 for defamation, accusing the news outlet of harming its reputation by airing allegations that Dominion’s voting machines were used to sway the 2020 election.
- However, Fox News argued that Trump and his attorneys, who made the claims, were giving the public newsworthy information and were protected by the First Amendment’s right of freedom of the press.
- Following the first day of trial, the two settled after court proceedings were delayed for nearly two and a half hours as attorneys for both parties engaged in last-minute negotiations.
- “The case has been resolved and it’s been resolved because of you,” Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis told the jurors. “Your presence here… was extremely important. And without you, the parties would not have been able to resolve their situation.”
DOMINION CEO JOHN POULOS ON FOX NEWS DAMAGING HIS COMPANY’S REPUTATION:
“Fox has admitted to telling lies about Dominion that caused enormous damage to my company, our employees, and the customers that we serve,” Poulos said. “Nothing can ever make up for that.”
BACKGROUND:
- In February 2023, Fox News host Howard Kurtz said he “strongly” disagrees with the network’s decision to not allow him to report on the lawsuit.
- “The company has decided that as part of the organization being sued, I can’t talk about it or write about it, at least for now,” said Kurtz. “I strongly disagree with that decision. But as an employee, I have to abide by it.”
- His comments came just days after court documents made public in the suit included messages that appear to reveal some of the network executives and opinion show hosts didn’t believe claims by President Trump that he lost his 2020 reelection due to widespread voting fraud, but still allowed his lawyers to make such on-air claims for ratings.
