Fox News Settles Dominion Defamation Lawsuit on Eve of Trial
In a meaningful advancement, Fox News has reached a last-minute settlement with Dominion Voting Systems, effectively ending the high-profile defamation case just as it was set to go to trial.The agreement averts the public airing of testimony from influential Fox News executives and prominent on-air personalities regarding their coverage of the 2020 election, which included false claims of voter fraud.
Dominion had sought $1.6 billion in damages from Fox News, alleging that the network’s broadcasts, which promoted conspiracy theories about the 2020 election, defamed the company. Fox News, along with its parent company Fox Corporation, had maintained that thay did not defame dominion and argued that the lawsuit constituted an unwarranted challenge to press freedoms. The network denied Dominion’s assertion that these election conspiracies were amplified to boost declining ratings following the 2020 election.
While the specifics of the settlement have not been publicly disclosed and may remain private,the resolution of this case means it will not proceed to a trial. However, Fox News continues to face another substantial defamation lawsuit from Smartmatic, another voting technology company that was also targeted with false claims on Fox News programs after the 2020 election.That case is currently in the discovery phase, with no trial date yet set.
