Fox News settles Dominion lawsuit for $787.5 million
By Katie Robertson and Jeremy W. Peters
WILMINGTON – The judge in the Fox News defamation case said on Tuesday (18) that the case was resolved, abruptly ending a long-running dispute over misinformation in the 2020 election just as a highly anticipated trial was about to begin.
It was a last-minute end to a case that began two years ago and after the disclosure of hundreds of thousands of pages of documents that peeled back the curtain on a media company that has long resisted outside scrutiny. The settlement included a $787.5 million payment from Fox, according to Justin Nelson, a lawyer for Dominion.
“The truth matters. Lies have consequences,” he said. “Over two years ago, a torrent of lies swept Dominion and election officials across America into an alternative universe of conspiracy theories causing grievous harm to Dominion and the country.”
Dominion had originally sought $1.6 billion in damages. Fox Corp. said in a statement that “we acknowledge the court’s rulings finding certain claims about Dominion to be false.”
It added: “We are hopeful that our decision to resolve this dispute with Dominion amicably, instead of the acrimony of a divisive trial, allows the country to move forward from these issues.”
The agreement was reached a few hours after a jury in Wilmington, Delaware, was selected Tuesday, and just as opening statements were expected to begin.
The sudden settlement means no high-profile Fox figures — including those who privately expressed concerns about the veracity of claims being made on its shows — will have to testify. The expected witness list had included Fox executives, including Rupert Murdoch, the chair of Fox Corp., and hosts Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and Maria Bartiromo.
The trial had been expected to be a major test of the First Amendment, raising questions about whether defamation law adequately protects victims of misinformation campaigns.
While the settlement avoids a lengthy trial, it still results in a rare instance of accountability for attempts to delegitimize President Joe Biden’s victory. Few people or organizations have faced legal ramifications for claims related to electoral fraud that were brought by former President Donald Trump or his supporters.
Dominion sued Fox in early 2021, arguing that its reputation was badly damaged when Fox repeatedly aired falsehoods about its voting machines.
-New York Times
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