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☆ How Trump's 'I'm rich!' boasts are coming back to bite him in court
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Laura Italiano | Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

The day before awarding Carroll $83.3 million in damages — Trump's penance for calling her a lying "whack job" when she told the world he'd sexually assaulted her — jurors heard, firsthand, how rich he was. AdvertisementTrump's "I'm rich" boasts hurt him in both the Carroll verdict and the upcoming fraud trial verdict, Snell said. Punitive damages in defamation cases are supposed to have a deterrent effect, to stop the defamation from happening again. AdvertisementTrump's wealth also illustrates why the jury imposed enormous punitive damages compared to the $18.3 million to compensate Carroll. The Carroll jury also heard Trump boast about the value of his "brand."

Persons: Donald Trump's, Jean Carroll, Donald Trump, Carroll, Roberta Kaplan, Trump, Letitia James, I'm, Tristan Snell, General's, Snell, Trump's, —, Kaplan, J, Erik Connolly, Connolly, Stephanie Keith, There's, We've, that's, Forbes, Timothy A, Clary, didn't, Chris Mattei, Alex Jones, Mattei, Arthur Engoron, Engoron Organizations: Carroll, Trump, New York Attorney, New, New York, Trump University, Disney, Benesch, NEW, Manhattan Federal Court, E, MSNBC, Trump Organization, Forbes, Bloomberg, Getty Locations: Manhattan, Smartmatic, New York City, AFP, New York

☆ Trump's sexual assault on E. Jean Carroll cost him just $2mil. His mouth put him on the hook for nearly $90mil more.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Most of the nearly $100 million Donald Trump owes E. Jean Carroll stems from verbal attacks on her. For the sexual assault, the jury ordered Trump to cough up just over $2 million to the longtime advice columnist. This most recent trial differed from last year's, at which Carroll sued Trump for both the sexual abuse and defamation. AdvertisementE. Jean Carroll with her attorneys Shawn Crowley and Roberta Kaplan following the second trial's jury verdict. Only a massive punitive damages verdict, Carroll's lawyers argued, would get Trump to actually stop.

Persons: Donald Trump, Jean Carroll, Trump, Carroll, —, E, she's, Carroll's, defaming Carroll, Spencer Platt, Chris Mattei, Alex Jones, Mattei, Shawn Crowley, Roberta Kaplan, Yuki Iwamura, wasn't, J, Erik Connolly, Connolly, Carroll —, Donald Trump's, hasn't Organizations: Service, CBS, Trump, Business, Getty, White, AP, Benesch, CNN Locations: Manhattan, New York City

☆ Pro-Trump network OAN execs may have ‘engaged in criminal activities’ while promoting 2020 election lies, Smartmatic alleges
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Marshall Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN pieced together who was involved in the email exchanges by examining court records from three separate cases stemming from the 2020 election. Baseless 2020 smearsSmartmatic has sued OAN, Powell, and other Trump allies and right-wing outlets, seeking billions of dollars in damages for their 2020 election lies. It’s unclear if the spreadsheet has any connections to the breach in rural Coffee County - which used software from Dominion Voting Systems, and not Smartmatic, in the 2020 election. One of its correspondents, who is also an attorney, even worked with Trump’s legal team to subvert the 2020 election results. The network, the two Herrings, and some of their on-air personalities are also being sued for defamation by Dominion, which was the target of similar 2020 election lies.

Persons: Trump, Sidney Powell, OAN, Smartmatic, “, Powell, Charles Herring, Herring, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, “ OAN, ‘, ”, Charles Babcock, Babcock, Erik Connolly, Trump’s, Robert Herring, Mike Lindell, Lindell, Charles, Lindell didn’t, Eric Coomer Organizations: CNN, America News, Smartmatic, Trump, OAN, Fox News, ” CNN, Dominion Voting Systems, Russian, Dominion, Lindell, DirecTV Locations: Philippines, Smartmatic, Coffee County, Coffee, Ukraine

☆ In blow to Fox Corp., judge rules Smartmatic case over 2020 election lies can proceed
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Marshall Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Cohen already let the case proceed against Fox News — and on Wednesday, he rejected a request by Fox Corporation to throw out the claims against the parent company. The parent corporation had argued that it shouldn’t be involved in the defamation case because it only had general oversight of Fox News itself. The case is still in the discovery phase, with some major depositions taking place in the past month, including former Fox Corporation chairman Rupert Murdoch. The decision boosts Smartmatic’s case against the right-wing media behemoth. A similar 2020-related lawsuit by Dominion Voting Systems was also allowed to proceed against Fox and its parent company.

Persons: David Cohen, Murdoch, Cohen, Fox, Smartmatic, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, ” Smartmatic, ” Cohen, “, defaming, ”, Erik Connolly, Rupert Murdoch, cravenly, Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, couldn’t, ” Fox Organizations: CNN, Fox Corporation, Fox News, Manhattan, Fox ) Corp, Fox Corp, Fox, Dominion Voting Systems, Trump, Wednesday, Smartmatic, “ Locations: New York, York, Florida

☆ Smartmatic lawyer says Rupert Murdoch is like a 'mafia boss' who 'ordered a hit' with Fox News
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A Smartmatic lawyer compared Rupert Murdoch to a "mafia boss" in a court hearing Wednesday. The company says Fox News and parent company Fox Corp. defamed it through 2020 election conspiracy theories. Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch "ordered a hit" on Smartmatic, the Smartmatic lawyer argued. Connolly made the extended analogy to argue that Fox Corp., the parent company of Fox News, shouldn't escape liability in the case. Erin Murphy, an attorney representing both Fox Corp. and Fox News, argued that it wasn't enough to show that the Murdochs were generally involved in shaping Fox News's editorial coverage.

Persons: Rupert Murdoch, Rupert, Lachlan Murdoch, Johnny, Erik Connolly, who's, doesn't, Connolly, Lachlan, Suzanne Scott, Jay Wallace, Donald Trump's, Erin Murphy, Smartmatic, Murphy, Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell —, Joe Biden, Trump, Jean Catuffe, David B, Cohen, Powell, Giuliani Organizations: Fox News, Fox Corp, Service, Fox, Trump, Republican, Dominion, Newsmax, New Locations: Wall, Silicon, Smartmatic, Manhattan

CNN —Fox Corporation on Friday said its top lawyer, Viet Dinh, will exit the company in a significant shakeup to its corporate ranks in the aftermath of the company’s historic $787 million settlement with election technology company Dominion Voting Systems. Dinh is the latest senior executive to depart after the historic Dominion settlement. Days after Fox settled the lawsuit with Dominion early this year, the company fired its star prime time host, the right-wing extremist Tucker Carlson. Dominion is just one of several high-profile lawsuits Fox has settled this year over its airing of false election conspiracy theories in 2020. In June, the network settled a lawsuit brought by former producer Abby Grossberg for $12 million.

Persons: Viet Dinh, ”, Lachlan Murdoch, Dinh, “, Fox, Rupert, Lachlan, ” Dinh, Murdoch, Raj Shah, Lou Dobbs, Smartmatic, Tucker Carlson, Abby Grossberg, Grossberg, Carlson, Smartmatic —, Erik Connolly Organizations: CNN — Fox Corporation, Voting Systems, FOX, Century Fox, Fox Corporation, SEC, Fox News, Fox, Dominion, CNN Locations: Viet, Dominion, Venezuelan

☆ Fox News paid a record-breaking sum to settle Dominion's defamation lawsuit. Smartmatic could get even more money.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The settlement Fox News may pay to Smartmatic could be around $1 billion, experts say. Disney's $177 million settlement for the infamous "pink slime" lawsuit in 2017 dropped to second place. Experts told Insider that the $787.5 million settlement is a strong benchmark for Smartmatic — and that Smartmatic will likely get more. Either way you slice it, using those baseline numbers brings you above the $787.5 million figure Fox paid to settle Dominion's lawsuit. "It's hard to extrapolate from the Dominion case in part because it never got litigated," Hans said.

Persons: Smartmatic, Erik Connolly, Connolly, Donald Trump, Sidney Powell, Rudy Giuliani, Joe Biden, Powell, Giuliani, Fox, Clay Calvert, James Goodale, Smartmatic's, Rupert Murdoch, Victoria Jones, Calvert, Erik McGregor, Hans, Goodale, Plimpton, De, Murdoch Organizations: Fox News, Dominion, Dominion Voting, Trump, Fox, American Enterprise Institute, New York Times, Fox Corp, Getty, Cornell Law, Debevoise Locations: cahoots, Delaware, New York, Washington ,, Africa, Europe, Smartmatic, Fox News's, York

☆ Smartmatic wants more than Dominion’s $787 million payout, plus a retraction from Fox for its 2020 election lies, lawyer says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Marshall Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

(But in a press release, Fox publicly “acknowledged” that the judge in that case had concluded that all 20 on-air statements that Dominion sued over were false.) “That set down a marker and it’s a marker that we think we should be exceeding,” Connolly said. “The scope of the damage done to Smartmatic is a global scale, because we operate globally… $787 million is a good start. Smartmatic wants $2.7 billion from Fox and other Trump allies that it named in the lawsuit. “We will be ready to defend this case surrounding extremely newsworthy events when it goes to trial, likely in 2025,” a Fox spokesperson said in a statement on Wednesday.

☆ Fox has more headaches coming after agreeing to pay $787.5 million to settle Dominion's defamation lawsuit
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

After shelling out $787.5 billion to settle Dominion's lawsuit, Fox has more troubles on the way. Atop the list is a separate lawsuit from Smartmatic, another election technology company that sued Fox News Network and its parent company, Fox Corp., in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election. Smartmatic's defamation lawsuit asks for $2.7 billion in damages and was filed against Fox Corp.; Fox News Network; hosts Jeanine Pirro, Maria Bartiromo, and Lou Dobbs; and Powell and Giuliani. Aside from the Smartmatic case, Fox News has to deal with potential shareholder lawsuits. The overall value of Fox Corp. — which also includes Fox Sports and the streaming service Tubi — is more than $17.6 billion.

☆ Smartmatic could be Fox’s next big problem
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Fox News’ legal battle with Dominion Voting Systems is over. It now has to deal with Smartmatic, which is seeking billions of dollars more than its rival wanted in damages. Dominion wanted “only” $1.6 billion and settled with Fox for $787 million Tuesday. Both lawsuits focus on Fox News’ coverage of the 2020 election, including lies about voter fraud. “Dominion’s litigation exposed some of the misconduct and damage caused by Fox’s disinformation campaign,” Smartmatic lawyer Erik Connolly said in a statement after the settlement.

April 19 (Reuters) - Fox News on Tuesday disposed of one legal threat with its $787.5 million defamation settlement with Dominion Voting Systems, but the network still faces a $2.7 billion lawsuit from another voting technology company, Smartmatic USA, over its coverage of debunked election-rigging claims. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File PhotoSmartmatic is seeking $2.7 billion in damages from Fox and five individuals, including former Trump lawyers and hosts. Smartmatic alleges in its lawsuit in New York County Supreme Court that the defendants knowingly spread false claims that its software was used to flip votes. Conspiracy theorists erroneously claimed Smartmatic owned Dominion, and the companies mounted similar allegations in their lawsuits. Fox denies the allegations, saying in a recent statement the network had a right to report on highly newsworthy allegations of voter fraud.

☆ 16 takeaways from Fox News' historic $787.5 million settlement with Dominion
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

In the moments after I watched the judge announce the settlement in court, 16 things went through my mind:1. Evidence obtained by Dominion in the lawsuit and filed to court ahead of the settlement appeared to support that theory. There's always the Smartmatic case. In court filings ahead of the settlement, Fox complained about the $1.6 billion price tag Dominion put on the lawsuit. "Would be pretty unreal if you guys like 20x'ed your Dominion investment with these lawsuits," read one text to a Staple Street executive cited in a Fox court filing.

☆ What’s next for Fox and Dominion? More lawsuits seeking accountability for corrosive 2020 election lies
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Marshall Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Wilmington, Delaware CNN —Dominion Voting Systems’ blockbuster defamation case against Fox News is over after the right-wing network cuts a check for a staggering $787 million, but there’s still an avalanche of pending lawsuits that are seeking accountability from the right-wing figures who championed false claims about the 2020 election. Smartmatic, another voting technology company, sued Fox for defamation following the 2020 election and is seeking $2.7 billion in damages from Fox and other defendants. Dominion still has a bevy of pending lawsuits against 2020 election deniers. “All of those decisions will have a huge bearing on those lawsuits as they play out,” Dominion lawyer Davida Brook told CNN Tuesday night. Dominion lawyer Justin Nelson added in a CNN interview that the Fox News settlement “sends a message to the other seven lawsuits that accountability is coming.”

☆ With historic settlement, Rupert Murdoch is paying the price for Trump’s election lies
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The country suffered the consequences of Donald Trump’s election lies on January 6th. And Rupert Murdoch suffered the consequences of those same lies on April 18. But while it is the largest publicly known defamation settlement by a U.S. media outlet ever, the hefty price tag won’t be enough to change Fox News at its core. In some ways it is fitting that the statement Fox News issued as a result of its dishonest conduct was dishonest in and of itself. Outside the embarrassment Fox News would have suffered, the settlement also spared the company and its executives of being bound by the laws of reality during trial.

Dominion accused Fox and its parent company Fox Corp (FOXA.O) of ruining its business by airing claims that its machines were used to rig the 2020 U.S. presidential election in favor of Democrat Joe Biden and against then-president Donald Trump, a Republican. Smartmatic alleges in its lawsuit in New York County Supreme Court that the defendants knowingly spread false claims that its software was used to flip votes. Conspiracy theorists erroneously claimed Smartmatic owned Dominion, and the companies mounted similar allegations in their lawsuits. Fox denies the allegations, saying in a recent statement the network had a right to report on highly newsworthy allegations of voter fraud. Fox has said the allegations are “baseless” and were immediately investigated by outside lawyers.

☆ Fox News' settlement with Dominion doesn't mean the risk of embarrassment is over, with Smartmatic saying it 'remains committed' to its own defamation case against the network
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The company made the statement following Fox News' $787 million settlement with Dominion on Tuesday. Smartmatic sued Fox News for defamation in 2021 and is seeking $2.7 billion in damages. (In a statement, Fox News acknowledged the false statements and said the settlement reflected its "commitment to the highest journalistic standards.") It also opened the door to adding Fox News' parent company, the Fox Corporation, as a defendant. Before settling with Dominion, Fox News' public relations team said the same thing.

☆ Dominion wasn't here to save democracy — it just wanted money from Fox News
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Fox News detractors wanted Dominion's lawsuit against Fox News to move forward for democracy's sake. "PLEASE Dominion --- Do not settle with Fox! The election technology company filed a civil defamation lawsuit against Fox News and its parent company, Fox Corporation, and asked for $1.6 billion. But just because Fox settled Dominion's lawsuit doesn't mean it's now free of legal risk. "Smartmatic remains committed to clearing its name, recouping the significant damage done to the company, and holding Fox accountable for undermining democracy."

☆ Fox News settles Dominion's defamation lawsuit for $787.5 million over election conspiracy theories just as the trial is about to start
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Fox News settled Dominion's defamation lawsuit over election conspiracy theories for $787.5 million. WILMINGTON, Delaware — Fox News settled Dominion Voting Systems's blockbuster defamation lawsuit just as it was about to go to trial, agreeing to pay it $787.5 million. In a press conference after Davis announced the settlement, Dominion CEO John Poulos criticized Fox for broadcasting lies about the company. Dominion first filed its lawsuit against Fox News and its parent company, Fox Corp., in March 2021. Representatives of Fox News arrive at the justice center for the Dominion Voting Systems' defamation lawsuit against Fox News, in Wilmington, Delaware.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterFILE PHOTO - Mike Lindell, CEO of MyPillow, speaks during general session at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, Texas, U.S., August 5, 2022. REUTERS/Go NakamuraSept 19 (Reuters) - MyPillow Inc Chief Executive Mike Lindell must face a defamation lawsuit brought by a voting machine company that the Trump ally falsely accused of rigging the 2020 U.S. election, a Minnesota federal judge ruled on Monday. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterLawyers for the defendants did not immediately respond to inquiries Monday. Smartmatic operated voting machines in Los Angeles County in 2020 and says there were no irregularities in its tallies. The London-based company alleged in its January complaint that Lindell knowingly made false election-rigging claims to boost MyPillow's sales and made Smartmatic "synonymous with election fraud."

☆ Election-technology company Smartmatic files $2.7 billion lawsuit against Fox News over election conspiracy theories
▼ + stars: | 2021-02-04 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Smartmatic filed a $2.7 billion lawsuit against Fox News over election conspiracy theories. The company accused Fox News of waging disinformation campaigns about its role in the 2020 election. "In November and December 2020, Fox News broadcast multiple reports stating and implying that Smartmatic had fixed and rigged the 2020 election," the company said in a press release. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won the 2020 election for President and Vice President of the United States," the lawsuit began. In the lawsuit, Smartmatic said it had arrived at the $2.7 billion figure by adding economic damages to the company and punitive damages it was seeking.

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