Fox News settles $787 million with Dominion just hours after Blockbuster trial begins
FoxNews waved the white flag on Tuesday and set himself apart Dominion Voting Systems just a few hours into the first day of bomb test on whether the conservative cable giant has committed “actual malice” by spreading voter fraud lies about the voting software company.
In a press conference shortly after the trial was dropped, attorneys for Dominion Voting Systems said they had settled for $787 million — about half of what they originally asked for.
“We are pleased that we have settled our legal dispute with Dominion Voting Systems. We acknowledge the court’s rulings that found certain allegations about Dominion to be incorrect,” Fox said in a statement.
“This comparison reflects FOX’s continued commitment to the highest standards of journalism. We hope that our decision to resolve this dispute amicably with Dominion, rather than the acrimony of a divisive process, allows the country to move forward.”
Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis first announced to the jury Tuesday afternoon that the parties had “resolved the case.” He commended both sides, noting that he had never seen such quality work from lawyers in his 13 years at the bank.
“The quality of the briefing, the attorneys’ ability to answer questions, the amount of work you put in on the case — and I just want to say that I would be proud to be your judge in the future,” Davis said .
Rumors of a settlement between the two parties circulated on the eve of the trial, after Davis announced the start of the trial would be delayed by a day. The Wall Street Journalowned by Fox News founder Rupert Murdoch reported on Sunday that the network made a late push to settle with Dominion.
In a lawsuit filed Sunday, Fox News’ lawyers also disputed damages it would pay if found liable by a jury in the $1.6 billion lawsuit, saying Dominion recently backed down its claims to alleged lost profits totaling over US$600 million. However, Dominion denied the network’s characterization of its stance, stating that the “claim for damages stands” and that the network is aware that “our damage exceeds $1.6 billion.”
“It doesn’t seem unusual to me,” Davis said Monday morning while delaying the start of the trial. “I’ll continue the matter until tomorrow.”
The lawsuit was spurred after various Fox News segments floated the idea that Dominion-made voting machines were being used to rig the 2020 election in favor of the Democrats. That and countless conspiracies, including the fact that Dominion was controlled by Venezuela, prompted the company to sue Fox for $1.6 billion in damages in March 2021.
The case was dragged through years of procedural filings before exploding in February when countless texts, statements and testimonies gave unprecedented insight into Fox News’ operations during the election period.
The lyrics included Fox stars like Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity, as well as various producers calling Donald Trump acolytes like Sidney Powell and Mike Lindell “dangerous as hell” and “on the crazy train with no brakes.”
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