Since Fox News was hit with a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit for falsely accusing a voting-machine company of rigging the 2020 presidential election, the media outlet has been under fire.
Fox News was hit with a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit for falsely accusing a voting-machine company(Photo: NBC News)
A Voting Machine Company Filed A Defamation Suit Against Fox News
After a Delaware judge ruled on Friday that a jury must determine whether the network broadcast the claims with actual malice, the standard for proving libel against public figures, the defamation case brought by a voting machine company against Fox News over its airing of false allegations about the 2020 presidential election will go to trial.
Judge Eric Davis of the Superior Court ruled that without a trial, neither Fox nor Dominion Voting Systems had made a compelling case to show that Fox acted maliciously. He did, however, rule that under New York law, the statements Dominion had contested were defamatory “per se.” As a result, Dominion was not required to demonstrate damages in order to hold Fox accountable.
In his decision on summary judgment, Judge Davis stated, “The evidence developed in this civil proceeding demonstrates that (it) is CRYSTAL clear that none of the statements relating to Dominion about the 2020 election are true.”
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Dominion Sued Fox For $1.6 Billion Claiming That The Network Defamed The Company
The verdict opens the door for a mid-April trial start.
Dominion is suing Fox for $1.6 billion, alleging that the network defamed the company by repeatedly airing untrue claims made in the weeks following the 2020 election by then-President Donald Trump and his allies that the company’s voting equipment and related software had switched votes to Democrat Joe Biden. Despite internal communications indicating that many of the network’s executives and hosts did not agree with the claims, the network still broadcast them.
The company filed a lawsuit against Fox News and Fox Corp. According to Fox, it was only covering newsworthy claims made by a president who claimed his reelection had been stolen. Davis ruled that Fox could not use its privileges for impartial reporting or opinion to avoid potential liability.
The judge stated, “FNN’s failure to disclose substantial contradictory evidence from the public sphere and Dominion itself indicates that its reporting was not disinterested.”
Dominion said in a statement following the decision that it was pleased that the court had rejected Fox’s arguments and found that “their statements about Dominion are false as a matter of law. We look forward to going to trial.”
Fox emphasized that the case is about the First Amendment rights of the media to report on events.
As we advance to the next stage of these proceedings, Fox promised to “remain a fierce advocate for the rights of free speech and a free press.”
Because of the coverage, a culture of rumors surrounding Trump’s defeat in 2020 has persisted ever since.
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