Dominion vs. Fox News Lawsuit - What Happened?
Dominion Voting Systems, a voting machine company, sued Fox News in March 2021 for defamation, alleging that the network had spread false and defamatory claims about the company's role in the 2020 election. The lawsuit sought $1.6 billion in damages.
The lawsuit stemmed from a series of on-air appearances by Fox News hosts and guests who allegedly made false claims about Dominion's voting machines, including that the machines were rigged to “steal” the election for Joe Biden. Dominion argued that these claims were knowingly false and had damaged the company's reputation and business.
Fox News denied the allegations and fought the lawsuit. In December 2021, a Delaware judge ruled that Dominion had met its burden of proving that the claims made by Fox News were false. However, the judge also ruled that Fox News could still argue that its statements were protected by the First Amendment.
The case was set to go to trial in April 2023, and just days before the trial was scheduled to begin, Fox News and Dominion reached a settlement. Under the terms of the settlement, Fox News agreed to pay Dominion $787.5 million.
The settlement was a major victory for Dominion, which had been fighting to clear its name and protect its business. The settlement also sent a message to other media outlets that they could be held accountable for spreading false and defamatory information.
The elements the plaintiff must prove to prevail in a lawsuit for defamation are:
A false statement of fact about the plaintiff.
The statement was published to a third party.
The statement caused the plaintiff to suffer harm, such as damage to their reputation or financial loss.
In some cases, the plaintiff may not need to prove that they suffered harm if the statement falls into a category of defamation per se, such as a statement that the plaintiff committed a serious crime or has a loathsome disease. If the plaintiff can prove all of these elements, they may be able to recover damages from the defendant. The amount of damages will depend on the severity of the harm caused by the statement. It is important to note that defamation is a complex area of law, and the specific requirements for proving defamation may vary from state to state. If you believe that you have been defamed, it is important to speak with an attorney to discuss your legal options.