As Fox News is facing a defamation trial against Dominion Voting Systems, Rupert Murdoch, the chair of the corporation, is anticipated to take the stand, according to The Daily Mail. Dominion brought the suit against the media giant for $1.6 billion alleging that the company defamed them by propagating lies about their technology after former President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election.
They also allege that negative coverage of their company was a way for the network to bring back viewers after they had called Arizona too early, a decision that Murdoch stood by, according to NPR. Fox denies allegations that their reporting was a way to bolster ratings.
Murdoch is reportedly going to be the first or second witness called to the stand. Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis asserted that he will not block Dominion from calling Murdoch as a witness. A jury is expected to decide whether Fox News is guilty of spreading lies about the election being rigged.
The jury was selected from a pool in New Castle County, Delaware where Democrats reportedly outnumber Republicans by more than two to one. Judge Davis already ruled that claims about Dominion rigging the election are not protected by the First Amendment, which is the foundation of free speech in the United States. The ruling is already being reported as a setback if Fox News is found guilty of “knowingly” spreading misinformation about the election.
Dominion is arguing that some hosts and producers knew that guests were spreading lies but continued to air them. The claim may be supported. Sean Hannity reportedly said that he did not believe former President Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was stolen for “one second.”
Fox News is reportedly using the comment to build its case. In text messages to former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, Hannity claimed that Trump did lose the 2020 election.
