Fox News agrees to pay Dominion Voting Systems over $787 million in a defamation lawsuit settlement, as announced by the presiding judge.
Fox News reached an unprecedented $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems, marking the largest defamation settlement in US history for a media company. The deal was finalized just before trial proceedings were set to begin, following a three-hour delay in the Delaware Superior Court. Dominion's lawyer called the settlement a "vindication" for truth and democracy, while Fox News acknowledged that certain claims about Dominion were false.
A defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems against Fox News centers around 20 specific broadcasts and tweets, spanning from November 2020 to January 2021. The statements, made by hosts like Jeanine Pirro and Lou Dobbs, and guests such as Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani, accused Dominion of election fraud, using algorithms to flip votes, having ties to Venezuela, and politicians receiving kickbacks for using the company. A judge has already ruled these allegations false, and a jury will determine if Fox showed "actual malice" in spreading these lies, potentially awarding Dominion $1.6 billion in damages.
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