Fox Corp and Fox News have agreed to a $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems, thereby avoiding a defamation trial over the network’s coverage of false claims of vote-rigging in the 2020 US Presidential election.
Dominion had originally sought $1.6 billion in damages when it filed the lawsuit in 2021.
The settlement, considered the largest in American media history, was announced just as the trial was about to begin in Wilmington, Delaware. As a result, high-profile Fox figures, including Rupert Murdoch, Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, and Jeanine Pirro, were spared potentially intense questioning on the witness stand.
The lawsuit concerned whether Fox was liable for airing false claims that Dominion’s voting machines were manipulated to favor Joe Biden over Donald Trump.
Dominion CEO John Poulos called the settlement “historic” and stated that Fox had admitted to spreading lies that caused significant damage to his company, its employees, and customers.
Fox acknowledged the court’s rulings, stating that certain claims about Dominion were false. However, the company said, “This settlement reflects Fox’s continued commitment to the highest journalistic standards. We hope our decision to resolve this dispute with Dominion amicably, instead of the wrath of a divisive trial, allows the country to move forward from these issues.”
The trial was expected to examine whether Fox’s coverage crossed the line between ethical journalism and the pursuit of ratings. Dominion alleged that Fox amplified false claims to boost its ratings and prevent viewers from switching to other right-leaning media outlets.
Another voting technology company, Smartmatic, is pursuing its defamation lawsuit against Fox, seeking $2.7 billion in damages in a New York state court.
This settlement sets a new record in American media libel cases, surpassing the previous high of $177 million paid by Walt Disney Co to Beef Products Inc in the “pink slime” defamation case in 2017.
