Fox News & Dominion Reach Settlement in Defamation Lawsuit

Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems reached a $787.5 million settlement in a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against the news network.

“Fox has admitted to telling lies,” Dominion CEO John Poulos said at a news conference.

WATCH:

BREAKING: Dominion Voting Systems CEO John Poulos calls settlement with Fox News "historic," adding: "Fox has admitted to telling lies about Dominion that caused enormous damage to my company… nothing can ever make up for that." https://t.co/0hppoGCI1J pic.twitter.com/6ieXrHXEGL

— ABC News (@ABC) April 18, 2023

Dominion lawyer Justin Nelson said the settlement represents “vindication and accountability.”

WATCH:

“Lies have consequences. The truth does not know red or blue.”

— Dominion Voting Systems lawyer Justin Nelson celebrates Fox News’ settlement of $787.5 million over its lies about Dominion in the wake of the 2020 election, sparing Fox News from a potentially damaging trial pic.twitter.com/1BC2CHUQ4j

— The Recount (@therecount) April 18, 2023

According to reports, Fox News acknowledged that certain claims about Dominion were false.

“We are pleased to have reached a settlement of our dispute with Dominion Voting Systems. We acknowledge the Court’s rulings finding certain claims about Dominion to be false,” Fox News said in a statement.

“This settlement reflects FOX’s continued commitment to the highest journalistic standards.”

NBC News reported:

The resolution came after the jury had been sat but before opening statements began.

“The parties have resolved their case,” Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis said Tuesday afternoon, informing the jurors of the settlement. “That your service is done and I’m going to excuse you. Sorry about making you wait.”

The deal ends a monthslong legal battle over whether the media company had defamed the voting machine maker when Fox broadcast election conspiracy theories in 2020.

Just the News added:

Dominion argued that Fox defamed the company by knowingly allowing guests on their shows to peddle false accusations that the 2020 presidential election was rigged and that Dominion’s voting machines were involved. Fox had contended that it was protected by the First Amendment and that the allegations against the company were newsworthy.

Davis allowed the case to proceed to trial in late March after determining that Dominion had established the first element of its claim, namely that the information Fox reported about the company was false.

“The evidence developed in this civil proceeding demonstrates that is CRYSTAL clear than none of the Statements relating to Dominion about the 2020 election are true,” wrote Judge Eric Davis at the time.

The terms and content of the trial later became a point of contention, with Davis later determining that Dominion would not have been able to discuss the network’s coverage of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, asserting that any mention of the matter might distort the jury’s perception of the case at hand.