Fox News settles with Dominion, pays over $787 million to avert defamation trial
The company accused Fox News of defamation in its 2020 United States presidential election coverage
Fox News agreed Tuesday to pay Dominion Voting Systems $787 million to avert a trial in the voting machine company's lawsuit that would have exposed how the network promoted lies about the 2020 presidential election.
The company accused Fox News of defamation in its 2020 United States presidential election coverage.
The stunning settlement emerged just as opening statements were supposed to begin, abruptly ending a case that had embarrassed Fox News over several months and raised the possibility that network founder Rupert Murdoch and stars such as Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity would have to testify publicly.
The lawsuit was filed in 2021 and it alleged that Fox News, in an attempt to boost its viewership, aired falsehoods about its voting machines.
Former president Trump and his allies claimed that the voting machines were used to rig the 2020 elections.
Dominion initially sought $1.6 billion for “intentionally and falsely blaming Dominion for President Trump’s loss,” Al Jazeera reported.
