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☆ Far-right network OAN retracts false story about Michael Cohen affair with Stormy Daniels
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Marshall Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Cohen and Daniels are both key witnesses against Trump in his ongoing New York state criminal trial. Trump is accused of falsifying business records to cover-up the $130,000 payment that Daniels received so she wouldn’t publicly reveal their alleged affair before the 2016 election. Cohen hired veteran attorney Justin Nelson after OAN published the story last month. The little-watched network has regularly given airtime to baseless conspiracy theories, most prominently in the wake of the 2020 election. OAN still faces a separate defamation lawsuit brought by Nelson’s law firm on behalf of Dominion over its promotion of 2020 election lies.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Cohen, Daniels, Trump, wouldn’t, Cohen “, ”, Daniel, ” Cohen, OAN, –, Justin Nelson, Nelson, “, ” Nelson, OAN didn’t Organizations: CNN, Trump Organization, Trump, Smartmatic, Dominion Voting Systems, Fox News, Dominion Locations: New York, Arizona

☆ Right-Wing Network Retracts False Story About Key Witness in Trump Trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Maggie Haberman | Katie Robertson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

One America News, a right-wing cable news network, on Monday retracted a report claiming that Donald J. Trump’s former fixer had been the person who actually had an affair with the porn star whose claims of a sexual relationship with Mr. Trump are key to his criminal trial. The retraction came after the fixer, Michael D. Cohen, hired a leading defamation lawyer to address the false report, which was posted on the network’s website on March 27. The lawyer, Justin Nelson, had represented Dominion Voting Systems in a suit against Fox News that cost that network $787.5 million to settle. Mr. Nelson worked with Mr. Cohen’s longtime lawyer, Danya Perry, in what was a remarkably quick about-face by OAN. There are no monetary damages, but the story is being removed from the website “and all social media,” the network said in a statement on Monday.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Michael D, Cohen, Justin Nelson, Nelson, Cohen’s, Danya Perry Organizations: America, Voting Systems, Fox News, Mr, OAN

☆ OAN and Smartmatic settle election defamation case
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Marshall Cohen | Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Voting technology company Smartmatic and the far-right network One America News said Tuesday that they had settled a defamation lawsuit stemming from the outlet’s lies about the 2020 election. “The case has been resolved pursuant to a confidential agreement,” OAN attorney Chip Babcock told CNN. The case against OAN was one of a spate of lawsuits filed against right-wing outlets in the aftermath of the election. In the wake of the 2020 presidential contest, pro-Donald Trump outlets spread lies wrongfully suggesting President Joe Biden had not been legitimately elected president. OAN settled a defamation suit in September with former Dominion executive Eric Coomer, whose case revealed how the network worked with former Trump campaign lawyer Sidney Powell and others to lie about the election.

Persons: “, ”, Chip Babcock, OAN, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Smartmatic, Trump’s, Eric Coomer, Trump, Sidney Powell Organizations: CNN, OAN, Fox News, Dominion Voting Systems, Trump, Russian, Dominion, DirecTV Locations: Ukraine

☆ Smartmatic and OAN Settle Defamation Suit
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Katie Robertson | More About Katie Robertson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The voting technology company Smartmatic reached a settlement on Tuesday in its defamation lawsuit against One America News Network, a far-right broadcaster, over the amplification of election falsehoods about the 2020 presidential election. The terms of the settlement were confidential and could not immediately be learned. Smartmatic filed the lawsuit in 2021, accusing OAN of amplifying baseless claims that Smartmatic had been involved in rigging the presidential election through its voting machines. Lawyers for Smartmatic and OAN did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Smartmatic also sued Fox News and Newsmax for defamation over their coverage of election conspiracy theories.

Persons: Smartmatic, OAN Organizations: One America News Network, U.S, District of Columbia, Smartmatic, Fox News

☆ Judge schedules Newsmax case over 2020 election lies for September trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Marshall Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A judge has scheduled a major defamation case against right-wing cable channel Newsmax to go to trial in late September, putting the battle over 2020 election lies front-and-center at the peak of the 2024 campaign. A trial could have significant implications for the First Amendment and how journalists cover Trump’s election lies. The conservative network doesn’t attract a large audience like Fox News, but Newsmax’s ratings surged after the 2020 election. In addition to the Newsmax case, Smartmatic is also suing Fox News, the fringe far-right cable channel OAN and Trump allies like Rudy Giuliani and Mike Lindell, who peddled the same election lies. But there were delays in that case, creating an opening for the Smartmatic case.

Persons: CNN —, Donald Trump’s, Smartmatic, Joe Biden, Eric Davis, Davis, Newsmax, “ Newsmax, … Newsmax, ’, Trump’s, ”, Bill Daddi, Christopher Ruddy, Fox, Eric Bolling, Greta Van Susteren, Sebastian Gorka, Clinton, Dick Morris, Trump, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Lindell Organizations: CNN, Dominion Voting Systems, Trump, Delaware Superior Court, Dominion, Fox News, Fox, Trump White House Locations: Delaware Superior

☆ The RNC just hired election denier Christina Bobb as a 'senior counsel for election integrity'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewA pro-Trump attorney who spread false theories about the legitimacy of the 2020 election has been hired by the Republican National Committee as senior counsel in a newly formed "election integrity" unit. AdvertisementShe added: "We can never allow what happened in 2020 and the questions surrounding that election to ever happen again." Bobb has long claimed that the 2020 election was stolen, including in her book "Stealing Your Vote: The Inside Story of the 2020 Election and What It Means for 2024." This is now a pivotal aspect of Special Counsel Jack Smith's election obstruction case against the former president. AdvertisementAside from her efforts to undermine the 2020 election, Bobb was also involved in defending Trump following the 2022 raid of Mar-a-Lago.

Persons: —, Christina Bobb, Lara Trump, Bobb, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, pollsters, Rudy Giuliani, Jack Organizations: Service, Trump, Republican National Committee, RNC, Washington Post, Business, Fox, Truth, America News, Dominion Voting Systems, CNN Locations: Maricopa County , Arizona, Trump's, Mar, Trump's Florida

☆ Right-wing outlets facing 2020 election defamation lawsuits may have found a key defense overseas
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Marshall Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —An alleged bribery scheme in the Philippines has thrown a potential lifeline to Fox News and other right-wing media outlets that are battling massive defamation lawsuits from the voting technology company Smartmatic for their promotion of 2020 election lies. The overseas scandal washed ashore last year when the Justice Department charged the Philippines’ former election commissioner with money laundering. Since then, Fox News, Newsmax and OAN have seized on the allegations, attempting to obtain new documents about potential wrongdoing by Smartmatic that could boost their defense. None of the allegations levied by US prosecutors in court filings pertain to vote-flipping or alleged rigging of election results. Last year, Fox paid a historic $787 million settlement with another election technology company, Dominion Voting Systems, for its promotion of similar election lies.

Persons: CNN —, Smartmatic, Newsmax, Donald Trump, Andres Bautista, Bautista, Fox, Nicolas Maduro, —, Smartmatic “, ”, Trump, “ Smartmatic, ” OAN, Eric Davis, OAN, “, OAN –, ” Smartmatic, hasn’t Organizations: CNN, Fox News, Justice Department, Trump, OAN, Philippine, Smartmatic, Fox, Dominion Voting, Lawyers Locations: Philippines, California, Venezuela, Manila, Smartmatic, Miami, Delaware, Brazil, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Belgium, Kenya, Oman, Switzerland, Taiwan

☆ Pro-Trump network OAN’s president solicited more info after receiving ‘stolen’ Smartmatic passwords, court documents allege
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Marshall Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The revelation builds on CNN’s previous reporting that OAN President Charles Herring forwarded the purported Smartmatic passwords to ex-Trump campaign lawyer Sidney Powell within days and later passed it to Mike Lindell. OAN denies defaming Smartmatic or anyone else, and its lawyers say nobody at OAN broke the law in connection with the alleged passwords. In a recent court filing, Smartmatic publicly disclosed – for the first time – the original email that OAN received on January 5, 2021, containing the alleged passwords. If you come across any addition (sic) information, please pass along,” according to emails made public in court filings. OAN handed over the emails to Smartmatic last year, but later claimed they were privileged and should be returned.

Persons: Charles Herring, Sidney Powell, Mike Lindell, Joe Biden, Smartmatic, OAN, defaming Smartmatic, Eric Coomer, Herring, tipster, –, ”, Powell, …, It’s, ’ Smartmatic, OAN “, Carl Butzer, “, Moxila Upadhyaya, OAN’s, Charles Babcock, Upadhyaya, Babcock, Oprah Winfrey, Bill O’Reilly, Phil Organizations: CNN, America, Trump, Voting Systems, Court, Fox News Locations: DC

☆ The ‘mainstreaming’ of ‘hateful and dehumanizing rhetoric’ in right-wing media is leading to violence, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

These are the toxic themes espoused in right-wing media, delivered each day through a mix of internet pipelines and broadcasts to millions of homes across the country. It’s part of a larger trend of right-wing violence afflicting the country. And it proliferates on social media platforms, where right-wing extremists maintain a loud presence and boast millions of followers. Rarely will you see a segment about the information crisis on the evening news or delivered prominently via other vessels of mainstream media. The language they use, she said, “winks at,” “nurtures,” and “flirts with violence,” but also offers them just enough “plausible deniability” when things go south.

Persons: Sinister globalists, “, ”, Donald Trump’s, Alex Jones ranted, ” Andrew McCabe, ” McCabe, you’re, ” Luke Baumgartner, ” Baumgartner, ” Juliette Kayyem, Kayyem, ” Kayyem Organizations: New, New York CNN, YouTube, Buffalo, El, El Paso Walmart, U.S . Capitol, Defamation League, ADL, Fox News, Klan, Extremism, George Washington University, Media, Republican Party, Homeland Security, Security, Global Health, Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government Locations: New York, America, Charlottesville, Charleston, El Paso, today’s America, U.S

☆ 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

The statement said the lawmaker “carried out information-subversive activities in favor of the Russian Federation” intended to destabilize and discredit Ukraine. When Giuliani went to Ukraine in 2019 to try to dig up dirt on then-candidate Biden and his son Hunter Biden, Dubinsky was one of the people he met with. Giuliani traveled to Ukraine in December 2019 to meet with several Ukrainian officials in an effort to defend Trump against House Democrats' impeachment inquiry. The US and Ukrainian governments have now both said these three Ukrainian officials participated in the Kremlin’s efforts to interfere with the 2020 US election. They also promoted the untrue conspiracy theory that Ukraine meddled in the 2016 US presidential election to undermine Trump, contrasting with the reality that Russia meddled to help Trump win.

Persons: CNN —, Rudy Giuliani, Joe Biden, Oleksandr Dubinsky, “, Russian Federation ”, Andrii Derkach, Kostiantyn Kulyk, Giuliani, Donald Trump, Biden, Trump, Hunter Biden, Dubinsky, Derkach, Kulyk, Hunter, Trump’s, impeaching Biden, SBU, Leah Millis, Igor Kolesnikov, Kolesnikov, ”, Russia meddled, denigrate Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, Andriy Yermak, ” Dubinsky Organizations: CNN, Bureau of Investigation, Security Service of Ukraine, Russian Federation, Trump, Biden, Moscow, House Republicans, GOP, House Democrats, Reuters, GRU, Kremlin Locations: Ukraine’s, Ukraine, Russia, Ukrainian, Russian, Moscow

☆ How the ‘uniparty’ myth shut the House down
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Republicans’ House speaker morass continued Tuesday with a little help from former President Donald Trump. Yet another lawmaker with support from most House Republicans – Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota, who was picked as their party’s nominee – failed to get the support of nearly all Republicans. What is ‘uniparty?’The term “uniparty” has been a favorite of people like Steve Bannon, the former Trump White House official turned podcaster. “You’ve got a small band of House conservatives who are fighting, really, in a lot of ways, a political guerrilla war against that uniparty,” Gaetz said. The majority of House Republicans backed Emmer, their fourth choice this year to be speaker, in both secret ballot voting and a behind-closed-doors roll call vote.

Persons: morass, Donald Trump, Tom Emmer, –, Trump, Emmer, he’s, ”, Steve Bannon, He’s, Matt Gaetz, Sebastian Gorka, Kevin McCarthy, Joe Biden, Hakeem Jeffries, Gaetz, “ You’ve, ” Gaetz, McCarthy, Biden, Andy Biggs of, “ Don’t, ” Biggs, holdouts, Ralph Nader Organizations: CNN, Republicans ’, Republicans – Rep, Republicans, Emmer, ”, Democrats, Republican, Capitol, Trump White House, Fox, America, Salem Radio, Florida Republican, Salem News Channel, Democratic, Politico, Green Party, Pew Research Center Locations: Minnesota, Ukraine, New York, Washington, Florida, cahoots, Andy Biggs of Arizona

☆ Smartmatic implicated in alleged bribery scheme involving top Filipino election official
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Marshall Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Smartmatic, the voting technology company suing Fox News and former President Donald Trump’s top allies over their false claims that its machines rigged the 2020 election, was implicated in an alleged bribery scheme involving the former top election official in the Philippines, according to court filings obtained by CNN. The court documents indicate that the Justice Department has filed money laundering charges against former Filipino election administrator Andres Bautista – and that four executives from Smartmatic subsidiaries are implicated as uncharged co-conspirators. Bautista awarded $199 million in contracts to Smartmatic for about 94,000 voting machines and to handle the results of the Philippines’ presidential election in 2016. The new allegations of corrupt foreign dealings could boost the defense for Fox News and the other Trump allies currently fighting Smartmatic in court. The criminal complaint against Bautista doesn’t accuse Smartmatic of tampering with election results in the Philippines or any other jurisdiction.

Persons: CNN — Smartmatic, Donald Trump’s, Andres Bautista –, Smartmatic, Samira Saba, “, Bautista, ” Smartmatic, Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Mike Lindell, OAN, Bautista “, ”, ” Bautista, Saba, Bautista doesn’t Organizations: CNN, Fox News, Justice, Trump, Fox, “, State Department, Southern, Southern District of Locations: Philippines, California, Florida, Venezuela, Southern District, Southern District of Florida

☆ One America News settles defamation lawsuit from a Dominion executive at the center of election conspiracy theories
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

He has also sued, in a separate lawsuit, conspiracy theorist and pillow salesman Mike Lindell. "They had no credible evidence of any 'Antifa conference call;' that Dr. Coomer was part of this purported call; or that Dr. Coomer committed election fraud. Coomer still has ongoing lawsuits against election conspiracy theoristsThe conspiracy theories, Coomer said in his lawsuit, led to "an onslaught of harassment and credible death threats issued against him." Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesCoomer filed his lawsuit separately from Dominion, which has separate pending lawsuits against OAN, Newsmax, Giuliani, and Powell. It was the first settlement from a news organization in a defamation lawsuit filed over 2020 election conspiracy theories.

Persons: OAN, Eric Coomer, Coomer, Donald Trump's, — OAN, Chanel Rion, Herring Networks —, Law360, OAN didn't, Trump's, Sidney Powell, Rudy Giuliani, Newsmax, Mike Lindell, Rion, Trump, OANN, Eric Coomer's, Drew Angerer, Giuliani, Powell Organizations: Dominion, Service, America, Network, Dominion Voting Systems, Court, White, Herring Networks, Inc, dba, News Network, Fox, Dominion Representatives, Coomer, OAN, Twitter, Fox News Locations: Wall, Silicon, Denver County, Colorado, Coomer, Dominion

CNN —Far-right TV network One America News and one of its on-air personalities settled a defamation lawsuit brought by a former executive at Dominion Voting Systems, the election technology company that was falsely accused of rigging the 2020 election, according to new court filings. By negotiating a deal with Coomer, OAN is resolving one of several pending lawsuits tied to the 2020 presidential election that could lead to dire financial consequences for the small network. The conspiracy-peddling channel still faces two blockbuster defamation suits from Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic, voting technology companies that OAN falsely claimed had rigged the election against Trump. As a correspondent for OAN, Rion has been at the forefront of the network’s pro-Trump propaganda, and she hosted a special called “Dominion-izing the Vote,” which promoted debunked conspiracies about the 2020 election results. In the wake of the 2020 election, Dominion, Smartmatic and Coomer have transformed from relatively unknown figures to prominent players in the effort to seek accountability for Trump’s election lies.

Persons: Eric Coomer, OAN, Chanel Rion, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, weren’t, Rion “, Coomer, —, Trump’s, Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell — haven’t, Rion, Coomer’s Organizations: CNN, America, Dominion Voting Systems, Dominion, Trump, Fox News Locations: Coomer’s Colorado

☆ Trump and DeSantis, once pandemic allies, are now gaslighting each other over Covid
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Steve Contorno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Though steadfast allies throughout much of the pandemic, Trump and DeSantis, as presidential primary rivals, agree on very little about what transpired during one of the most trying periods in their respective tenures in leadership. Unsaid in the ad was that DeSantis had repeatedly praised Fauci early in the pandemic, calling him “really, really good and really, really helpful” and “really doing a good job.” A CNN KFile review found Trump began harshly criticizing Fauci much earlier than DeSantis. Trump has dismissed the conservative back-slapping of DeSantis’ handling of the pandemic, insisting the governor’s performance wasn’t all that great. By preemptively attacking DeSantis’ pandemic policies, Trump, too, appears aware that voters could see his top rival as stronger on the issue. The shift became an early fault line in the fracturing relationship between Trump and DeSantis.

Persons: Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis –, Trump, Anthony Fauci, DeSantis “, Fauci, ”, DeSantis, Ron, “, Andrew, Cuomo, ” Trump, ” DeSantis, shutdowns, it’s, Steve Sisolak’s, Steve Sisolak, “ You’re, OAN, they’re Organizations: CNN, Florida Gov, GOP, New, Concord, Twitter, Trump’s, National Institute of Allergy, Trump, Florida, DeSantis, Republicans, New York Democratic, Republican, Gallup, Las Vegas, Democratic, Fox News, Food and Drug Administration, “ Fox, Friends Locations: New Hampshire, Hollis, lockstep, Florida, Nevada

☆ Fox News stirs outrage after labeling Biden a ‘wannabe dictator.’ The network says it ‘addressed’ the situation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Fox News on Wednesday acknowledged that an onscreen banner calling President Joe Biden a “wannabe dictator” was inappropriate and said it had taken steps to address the situation internally. “The chyron was taken down immediately and was addressed,” a Fox News spokesperson told CNN in a statement. “WANNABE DICTATOR SPEAKS AT THE WHITE HOUSE AFTER HAVING HIS POLITICAL RIVAL ARRESTED,” the onscreen text read. Biden and his White House have repeatedly stressed that he does not involve himself in Justice Department investigations and have said that the DOJ works independently of the White House’s influence. But Fox is fighting another defamation case from Smartmatic, another voting technology company, which is seeking a staggering $2.7 billion in damages.

Persons: Joe Biden, ”, Fox, KAI, ron, Biden, Donald Trump, Trump, “, Brian Kilmeade, Tucker Carlson, 4u3meRzXUY — Oliver Darcy, Hillary, Carlson Organizations: New, New York CNN — Fox, Fox News, CNN, Department, DOJ, Fox, MSNBC, Trump, National Archives, Dominion Voting Systems Locations: New York, Biden’s Washington, DC, Wilmington , Delaware, Washington

☆ Insiders say Tucker Carlson overplayed his hand at Fox but the 'whole universe' of right-wing media is courting him now
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

the Fox insider said. Lachlan Murdoch had defended Carlson time and again, most publicly in April 2021, pushing back against Anti-Defamation League complaints of the anchor's "great replacement theory" comments. Lachlan Murdoch and Rupert Murdoch. A second Fox News insider, who is familiar with conversations happening in Australia, said Lachlan Murdoch was looking long term. The board has also put pressure on the Murdoch family to change things at Fox News.

☆ Tucker Carlson’s departure won’t change Fox News
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

But if history is any guide, there’s one thing we can count on: Cutting Tucker Carlson loose is not a sign that Fox is ready to change its ways. He regularly brought fringe, racist talking points such as the “great replacement” conspiracy theory into the mainstream. The content on “Tucker Carlson Tonight” made “The O’Reilly Factor” look like “Leave It to Beaver.”That strategy wasn’t a new one for Fox. “There will be a new Tucker Carlson, and it’s a good bet he or she will be even worse,” wrote David A. Graham in The Atlantic. Tucker Carlson, left, and former President Donald Trump, talk while watching golf.

☆ 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.”

☆ 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.

☆ From Mike Lindell to OAN, here's everyone Dominion and Smartmatic are suing over election conspiracy theories so far
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Grace Dean | Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Sidney Powell by Dominion and SmartmaticAttorney Sidney Powell at a Trump Campaign press conference. Despite being purged from Trump's "Elite Strike Force" legal team Powell used her false theories as the premise of four federal lawsuits seeking to overturn the election result. The falsehoods from Powell and Rudy Giuliani, another conspiracy theorist attorney hired by Trump to challenge his election loss, formed the basis for Dominion's lawsuit against Fox. Smartmatic filed a defamation lawsuit against Powell a month after Dominion did, suing her at the same time it sued Rudy Giuliani, a fellow conspiracy theorist, and Fox News. The company claimed that Powell and Giuliani used right-wing media outlets like Fox News to make their conspiracy theories go viral.

☆ Fox mogul Rupert Murdoch survived the phone-hacking scandal. Dominion's $1.6 billion lawsuit will test whether he can do it again.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Jack Newsham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Now, two voting-technology companies, Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic, want to make another Murdoch media property pay even more for Fox News's role in spreading election denial. But the phone-hacking scandal showed how Murdoch has weathered challenges to his power before. Another key difference from the phone-hacking scandal is the presence of written records that show Fox execs knew exactly what was going on. In the last quarter of 2022, Fox Corp. netted $321 million on $4.6 billion in revenue. And during the phone-hacking scandal, Murdoch showed fierce loyalty.

☆ Fox News says Carlson, Hannity, Bartiromo set to testify at defamation trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Fox personality Tucker Carlson speaks at the 2017 Business Insider Ignition: Future of Media conference in New York, U.S., November 30, 2017. Rupert Murdoch, the 92-year-old chair of Fox's parent Fox Corp (FOXA.O), is not on Fox's witness list. The Denver-based company has said emails, texts and depositions show that Fox aired false election claims to boost profit and keep viewers from defecting to the right-wing outlets Newsmax and OAN, which also embraced Trump's claims. "The evidence developed in this civil proceeding demonstrates that (it) is CRYSTAL clear that none of the statements relating to Dominion about the 2020 election are true," he wrote. Fox faces a similar lawsuit by another voting technology company, Smartmatic, which is seeking $2.7 billion in damages.

☆ Rupert Murdoch could face FEC fines if he tipped off Jared Kushner about Biden's presidential ads before they aired
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Madison Hall | Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Dominion claims Rupert Murdoch shared info about Biden ads with Trump's campaign in 2020. "During Trump's campaign, Rupert provided Trump's son-in-law and senior advisor, Jared Kushner, with Fox confidential information about Biden's ads, along with debate strategy (providing Kushner a preview of Biden's ads before they were public)," Dominion's lawyers alleged in the filing. "If the allegations are true, this is precisely what Murdoch provided to the Trump campaign," he said. After Trump lost, Murdoch shifted attention to two runoff elections in Georgia for US Senate seats. "My friend Jared Kushner called me saying, 'This is terrible,' Murdoch wrote.

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