Dominion, the voting equipment company, and Fox News settled the $1.6 billion lawsuit over the claims of a ‘stolen’ election. Read to know more about the settlement.
All about the Fox News and Dominion’s settlement:
Fox News and Dominion settled a defamation lawsuit accusing the agency of knowingly broadcasting doubted information that Dominion was involved in a plot to ‘steal’ the 2020 presidential election. Fox News agreed to pay the firm nearly $790 million. The Toronto-headquartered company accused Fox of broadcasting outlandish claims following former President Trump’s loss. In the $1.6 billion defamation suit, it also claimed the network was accusing it without any evidence.
On Tuesday, Judge Eric Davis confirmed: “The parties have resolved the case.” Additionally, in a statement addressing the settlement, Fox News acknowledged the sharing of false information on air. “We are pleased to have settled our dispute with Dominion Voting Systems. We acknowledge the Court’s rulings finding certain claims about Dominion to be false,” stated the network. “This settlement reflects FOX’s continued commitment to the highest journalistic standards. 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,” it added.
More on the case and lawsuits
Dominion celebrated that the lawsuit forced Fox News to admit that it published false and unverified news. “Nothing can ever make up for that. Truthful reporting in the media is essential to our democracy. Dominion, our employees, and our partners are grateful to the court for allowing the process for the truth to come out,” stated John Poulos. Poulos is the CEO of Dominion. The firm filed a defamation suit in 2021 against the network and its parent company. The voting equipment manufacturer challenged several claims made by both guests and hosts, demanding $1.6 billion in damages.
However, this is not the only lawsuit against Fox News. Smartmatic, a London-headquartered firm making electronic voting systems is seeking a $2.7 billion defamation case against them in the New York Supreme Court. “Dominion’s litigation exposed some of the misconduct and damage caused by Fox’s disinformation campaign. Smartmatic will expose the rest. Smartmatic remains committed to clearing its name, recouping the significant damage done to the company, and holding Fox accountable for undermining democracy,” stated Smartmatic, following the settlement.