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WILMINGTON, DELAWARE – Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems reached a last-minute settlement today, April 18, 2023, averting a highly anticipated and perhaps damaging defamation trial. The agreement, finalized just hours before jury selection was to begin in Delaware Superior Court, brings an end to Dominion’s $1.6 billion lawsuit alleging that Fox News knowingly spread false claims about the company’s voting machines following the 2020 presidential election.
Judge Eric M. Davis, who oversaw the proceedings, acknowledged the importance of the settlement, stating, “Your presence hear, short compared to what you thought, and uneventful in a certain sense, was extremely important. Without you, the parties would not have been able to resolve their situation.” The terms of the settlement remain confidential, but sources familiar with the agreement indicate it involves a substantial financial payment from Fox News to Dominion.
Dominion CEO John Poulos addressed the media outside the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center in Wilmington, stating, “Fox has admitted to telling lies about Dominion that caused enormous damage to my company, our employees, and the customers that we serve.” He framed the outcome as a victory for the integrity of the democratic process.
The lawsuit centered on broadcasts on Fox News shows,including those hosted by lou Dobbs,Jeanine Pirro,and Maria Bartiromo,which amplified unsubstantiated claims made by rudy Giuliani,Sidney Powell,and others alleging widespread fraud in the 2020 election and falsely linking Dominion to the alleged scheme.Internal communications revealed during finding showed that several Fox News hosts and executives privately doubted the veracity of these claims but continued to allow them to be aired.
While the Dominion case is now resolved, Fox news faces a separate defamation lawsuit filed by smartmatic, another voting technology company. That case, filed in December 2020, alleges similar false claims were made about Smartmatic’s voting systems. The Smartmatic case is currently in the discovery phase, with a trial date not yet set. The lawsuit seeks $2.7 billion in damages.
