The Fox News television network will pay voting machine maker Dominion $787.5 million in damages, ending a defamation lawsuit for endorsing false claims by Donald Trump that blamed his loss in the 2020 presidential election. to the manipulation of electronic voting, judicial authorities reported this Tuesday (04.18.2023).
“The parties have resolved their dispute,” Judge Eric Davis announced to jurors as the trial was about to formally begin in the Delaware State Supreme Court.
Fox News expressed its “satisfaction” with the “friendly” agreement that spares its owner, Rupert Murdoch, and some of the star presenters, such as Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity, the embarrassment of sitting down as witnesses in a trial that was going to test the freedom of expression contemplated in the First Amendment of the US Constitution.
“We are happy to have reached a solution to our dispute with Dominion Voting Systems,” said the chain in a statement, in which it claims to “recognize the court rulings that declare certain statements about Dominion false,” after the judge had concluded in a March 31 decision that it was “crystal clear that no claim about Dominion during the 2020 election was true.”
“Libel Trial of the Century”
Dominion Chairman John Poulos told reporters outside of court that “Fox has admitted to telling lies about Dominion that has caused enormous damage to my company, our employees and our customers. Nothing can make up for it.”
“Lies have consequences,” said Dominion’s lawyer, announcing that Fox News had agreed to pay $787.5 million to the company, which was demanding $1.6 billion in damages in the lawsuit filed against the company. chain in March 2021.
This settlement spares the pearl of Ruper Murdoch’s media empire from the “defamation trial of the century,” as the New York Times called it. And Rupert Murdoch being questioned at 92 years old.
Analysts had predicted that it could be one of the most momentous defamation trials in US legal history.
Dominion, whose electronic voting machines were used in 28 states in the presidential election won by Democrat Joe Biden, was Trump’s beast noire, who accused the company, without evidence, of having been rigged.
