Murdoch says the Fox hosts endorsed the theft of the Biden election

Nonetheless, the identical paperwork present that Murdoch and different Fox executives believed that Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump and the outcomes have been past doubt.

The media mogul’s assertion is a part of Dominion Voting Programs’ submitting, a part of the digital voting firm’s $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit in opposition to Fox Information and father or mother firm Fox Corp over protection of the 2020 presidential election.

A five-week trial is scheduled to start April 17 in a Delaware state court docket.

Mr. Murdoch’s testimony is a part of his affidavit, which Reuters has solely partially accessed, because it stays sealed.

Dominion has argued that inside communications and testimonies from Fox staff show that the community knowingly unfold lies about Donald Trump’s defeat within the 2020 presidential election with a view to enhance its scores.

For its half, Fox mentioned its protection of Trump’s attorneys’ allegations was newsworthy and guarded by the First Modification to the US Structure.

Defamation versus freedom of expression

Fox believes that clarification Most Defamation legislation prevents the media from doing their job.

Executives in any respect ranges of Fox, (Fox Information Community) and (Fox Company), knowingly opened up Fox waves to Dominion conspiracy theories.The corporate wrote.

Requested by a Dominion lawyer if a number of the Fox commentators supported the concept of ​​stealing the 2020 election, Murdoch mentioned sure.

Dominion sued Fox Information Networks and father or mother firm Fox Corp in March 2021 and November 2021 in Delaware Supreme Court docket, alleging that the TV community doubled down on allegations that Dominion voting machines have been used to rig the 2020 election in opposition to Donald Trump.

In an announcement launched Monday, a Fox spokesperson mentioned Dominion’s views on defamation legislation It’ll bar journalists from reporting and that its efforts to publicly defame Fox for its protection and commentary on the allegations of a sitting President of the USA must be acknowledged for what they’re: a flagrant violation of the First Modification..

Dominion’s petition incorporates emails and statements by which Rupert Murdoch and different senior Fox executives declare that on-air statements about Dominion have been false.