Dominion voting systems sued the Fox Network for defamation and now Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch, son of Rupert Murdoch, has to be deposed early next week. Dominion voting machines have long been maligned by such actors as former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani and Fox Network anchors.
The cable network’s founder’s son is the top executive to give his deposition thus far, according to CNBC.Â
The defamation lawsuit against the network involves both Fox News and Fox Business. Dominion claims that the cable network made “false claims against its voting machines.” The company said that Fox’s hosts and guests said Dominion’s voting machines were “rigged” for the 2020 presidential election between President Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
Dominion claimed that both Fox Business and Fox News made false claims. The network’s argument was that it was “protected by the First Amendment.” Â In turn, Dominion claimed that the parent company of Fox and its top people were involved in the defamation:
‘[They] played a role in Fox’s hosts in spreading misinformation about voter fraud.’
Early last summer a judge in the state of Delaware ruled that the voting machine company’s lawsuit could grow to encompass Fox’s parent company. Fox Corporate Chairman of the Board is Rupert Murdoch, and it is possible that the elderly man could be deposed, too.
Although there have been attempts to dismiss the case. But neither Fox nor Dominion have expressed any interest in moving toward a settlement. If they do not get there, the trial might begin as early as April.
The personalities for Fox involved in the lawsuit have all given their deposition. They are:
- Maria Bartiromo
- Tucker Carlson
- Sean Hannity
- Jeanine Pirro
Given that depositions are private affairs, Dominion has been going through “the discovery process” and collecting evidence. Fox’s Murdoch clan has urged the court to retain all items. The network believed that Dominion “mischaracterized what the documents show as actual malice.”
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The First Amendment advocates and expert players have been keeping their eyes on this case. After all, Dominion said it has been wrongly accused by Fox hosts who made “false claims.”
Fox News host Sean Hannity has been queried about whether he considers himself a journalist and therefore covered under the First Amendment. He has been quite close to Donald Trump. Hannity said as late as April 2022, according to The Mother Jones:
‘I go out of my way to explain what my job is, because a lot of people in the media mob do not understand what we do. Yes, I’m a member of the press… I’m on the Fox News Channel—which is a news channel—but I don’t claim to be a journalist.’
It appears that at this point the case is headed to trial.
Christie writes Gloria Christie Reports & Three White Lions Substack newsletters and a Three White Lions podcast available on Apple, Spotify, etc. She is a political journalist for the liberal online newspaper The Bipartisan Report. Written in her own unique style with a twist of humor. Christie’s Mueller Report Adventures In Bite-Sizes a real-life compelling spy mystery (in progress). Find her here on Facebook. Or at Three White Lions her book on Amazon Kindle Vella and the Gloria Christie Three White Lions podcast on Apple, Spotify, etc.
