Fox News Defamation Settlement

🔵 Foreign Interference & Disinformation · Apr 18, 2023


Summary

Fox News settled Dominion Voting Systems’ $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit for $787.5 million, the largest publicly known defamation settlement in U.S. media history. Evidence revealed that Fox hosts and executives privately acknowledged the election fraud claims they broadcast were false. Internal messages showed Rupert Murdoch, Tucker Carlson, and Sean Hannity privately calling the claims ‘asinine,’ ‘crazy,’ and ‘ludicrous’ while continuing to air them to retain viewers. Judge Davis ruled that it ‘is crystal clear that none of the statements relating to Dominion about the 2020 election are true.’ Fox News has since been rewarded for their adherence to Trump’s election fraud claims in his second term with preferential media access and the FCC allowing the Nexstar Tegna merger.

Key Figures

Donald Trump

Institutions Involved

Fox News, Dominion Voting Systems

Sources

Wikipedia Overview

Fox News Defamation Settlement