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☆ Indicted RNC ‘election integrity’ official accused of dodging deposition in 2020 election defamation case
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Marshall Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Christina Bobb, the indicted RNC official and former One America News host, is dodging a deposition in a 2020-related defamation lawsuit, according to Dominion Voting Systems, which is battling her in court. Lawyers for Dominion said a filing Monday that Bobb’s lawyers didn’t answer their emails in March and May when they tried to schedule Bobb’s deposition. After then-President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, Bobb used her on-air role at OAN to repeatedly promote baseless conspiracy theories about the results being rigged, including by Dominion software. After a shakeup at the RNC earlier this year, Bobb and other Trump loyalists assumed top leadership posts, with Bobb focusing on so-called “election integrity” efforts. These efforts include new lawsuits aimed at tightening the rules regarding mail-in ballots and restricting the availability of ballot drop boxes.

Persons: Christina Bobb, Bobb, ”, Thomas Jacobs, “ Bobb, Dominion’s, Donald Trump, Trump Organizations: CNN, RNC, America News, Voting Systems, Trump, Dominion Locations: Arizona

☆ Pro-Trump attorney arrested after court hearing about leaked Dominion emails
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Marshall Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —A pro-Trump lawyer who tried to overturn the 2020 election was arrested Monday after a court hearing about her recent leak of internal emails belonging to Dominion Voting Systems. In the last 24 hours, Leaf has posted more than 2,000 internal Dominion documents on his social media account. The marshals declined to say whether they arrested her, and she didn’t answer messages seeking comment after the hearing. During the at-times testy hearing Monday, Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya peppered Lambert with sharp questions about the disputed Dominion materials. Dominion wants Lambert removed from the case and suggested in court Monday that she might have committed a crime by disseminating the files to Leaf.

Persons: Stefanie Lambert, Lambert, Dar Leaf, Donald Trump, Leaf, Patrick Byrne, “, Judge Moxila Upadhyaya, ” Upadhyaya, Byrne, ”, ” Lambert, Davida Brook, Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, CNN’s Holmes Lybrand Organizations: CNN, Trump, Voting Systems, Dar, US Marshals Service, U.S . Marshals, Dominion, Leaf, meddled, US Intelligence, America, . Dominion, Fox News Locations: Michigan, Barry, Dominion, Washington ,, Serbia

The Senate voted 31-22 to pass Senate Bill 189, sending it on to the House for more debate. Also Tuesday, Burns' committee approved a state constitutional amendment that says only U.S. citizens can vote in Georgia elections. Supporters, including Raffensperger, claim the measure is needed to make sure no one ever changes the current Georgia law that bars noncitizens from voting. Some lawmakers hope new optical scanners can be purchased and used to count ballots without QR codes this year. All Democrats, even one who voted to ban QR codes in committee, voted against the Senate bill Tuesday.

Persons: Donald Trump's, Bill, Brad Raffensperger's, it's, Max Burns, ” Burns, Donald Trump, Alex Halderman, Raffensperger, Burns, noncitizens, Matt Hatchett, Sen, Sally Harrell, Harrell Organizations: ATLANTA, —, Republican, Sylvania Republican, Fox News, Dominion, Board, Georgia, Dublin Republican, Atlanta Democrat Locations: — Georgia, Georgia, Atlanta

☆ 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

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) — A power company's plans for an enormous offshore wind farm off Virginia's coast gained key federal approval Tuesday after the Biden Administration evaluated the project's potential impact on the environment. The utility will still need federal approval of its construction and operation plans before more pilings rise above the Atlantic Ocean. Dominion said its project will be the largest offshore wind farm under development in the United States. The administration said it wants to build 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030 — enough to power more than 10 million homes. The Southern Environmental Law Center cited the importance of offshore wind for cutting carbon pollution, which fuels climate change.

Persons: what's, “, Deb Haaland, Joe Biden's, Glenn Youngkin, Will Cleveland, Michael Town, ” Organizations: Biden Administration, Dominion Energy, of Ocean Energy Management, Dominion, Interior Department, Republican Gov, Southern Environmental, Virginia League of Conservation Voters Locations: VIRGINIA BEACH, Va, Virginia's, Atlantic, Virginia Beach, United States, Virginia

☆ Mike Lindell’s lawyers in Dominion lawsuit seek to quit case over millions of dollars in unpaid legal fees
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Liam Reilly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Attorneys representing conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell and his company MyPillow in a defamation lawsuit brought by Dominion Voting Systems asked to withdraw from the case on Thursday after Lindell allegedly racked up millions in unpaid legal fees. In a court filing, Minnesota-based Parker Daniels Kibort said both Lindell and MyPillow have not paid the firm for its work on the case and won’t be able to pay future fees and costs. But Lindell was adamant that he would not settle with Dominion or Smartmatic, another election technology company suing him for defamation. The court must grant the attorneys’ motion to withdraw before they can formally drop Lindell and MyPillow as clients. Attorneys for Dominion did not have a position regarding the motion when it was filed, the court filing shows.

Persons: Mike Lindell, Lindell, Parker Daniels Kibort, MyPillow, won’t, “, ”, —, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Steve Bannon’s Organizations: CNN, Dominion Voting Systems, Dominion, Lindell, Fox Locations: Minnesota

☆ NextEra workers roll the dice with big bet on company stock
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Tim Mclaughlin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

America’s largest renewable power company is among several U.S. energy and utility companies, including Exxon and Southern Company, that continue to promote big, concentrated bets on company stock in worker retirement plans. Nearly 50% of the investments in NextEra’s employee-funded 401(k) retirement plan are in company stock, the highest among all 30 companies in the S&P 500 Utilities Sector (.SPLRCU). NextEra declined to comment on its use of company stock in employee 401(k) plans. "If we saw a concentration of more than 20% in a single company stock, we would definitely tell them it's a big risk." `Keith Rasmussen, a retired geologist, said he still feels the financial repercussions of holding big bets on company stock in his retirement plans.

Persons: Robert Knoche, Yoon, NextEra, ”, Alicia Munnell, Kristin McKenna, McKenna, Ryan Frazier, Keith Rasmussen, jolt, Rasmussen, “, ” Rasmussen, Richard Valdmanis, Anna Driver Organizations: REUTERS, Exxon, Southern Company, Corporate America, Enron, Utilities, Vanguard Group, Center for Retirement Research, Boston College, Employees, Silicon Valley Bank, Darrow Wealth Management, SEC, Corporations, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Southern Co, Dominion Energy Inc, Dominion, Chesapeake Energy Corp, Thomson Locations: Douglas County , Kansas, U.S, Silicon, Boston, Atlanta , Georgia

☆ Dominion’s $1.6 billion defamation suit against Newsmax over election lies set for September 2024 trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Marshall Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Dominion Voting Systems’ $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Newsmax over the right-wing network’s airing of 2020 election lies is scheduled to go to trial in late September 2024, a Delaware judge decided. The decision by Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis means — barring an out-of-court settlement — Trump’s lies about the 2020 election will be front and center at a four-week trial during the closing weeks of the 2024 election. Davis presided over a similar high-profile defamation case brought by Dominion against Fox News over the network’s airing of election lies. The case ended in April with a last-second $787 million settlement, the largest publicly known defamation settlement in US history. Newsmax is also facing a massive defamation suit from Smartmatic, another voting technology company that was accused by right-wing figures of rigging the 2020 election.

Persons: Newsmax, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Eric Davis, Davis, Dominion “, Sidney Powell, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Lindell, Patrick Byrne, Trump, “ Organizations: CNN, Dominion, Delaware, Fox News, Newsmax, Trump Locations: Delaware, Biden’s

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

☆ Pipeline operator Enbridge Inc will buy three natural gas utilities from Dominion Energy for $9.4 billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Canadian pipeline operator Enbridge Inc. announced Tuesday that it plans to acquire three gas distribution companies from Dominion Energy. The deal is valued at $14 billion, including $9.4 billion in cash and $4.6 billion in debt, and will create North America’s largest natural gas utility platform, according to Enbridge. Enbridge will buy three of Dominion’s gas utilities: The East Ohio Gas Company, Public Service Company of North Carolina, Incorporated, and Questar Gas Company, which serve about 3 million homes and businesses. “Adding natural gas utilities of this scale and quality, at a historically attractive multiple, is a once in a generation opportunity,” Enbridge CEO Greg Ebel said in a statement. “These businesses and employees have been an integral part of the Dominion Energy team, which is why we approached this decision with careful and deliberate consideration,” Dominion Energy CEO Robert Blue said in a statement about the company’s agreement with Enbridge.

Persons: Enbridge, ”, Greg Ebel, Dominion, Warren Buffett’s, Robert Blue Organizations: CNN, Canadian, Enbridge Inc, Dominion Energy, Dominion, East Ohio Gas Company, Public Service Company, Questar Gas Company, Warren, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Energy, ” Dominion Energy, Enbridge Locations: Enbridge, Richmond , Virginia, Calgary, Canada, United States, North Carolina

☆ Fact Check-Dominion lawsuits against Giuliani and Powell still active
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Defamation lawsuits by voting machine manufacturer Dominion Voting Systems against Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell are still active, despite online posts recirculating the false claim that Dominion lost the suits and suggesting the defeat was censored by news outlets. An Aug. 3 post on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, said: “CENSORED NEWS: Dominion LOST its lawsuits against Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell!!! Dominion’s original complaint against Giuliani and Powell can be seen on the legal updates page of the company’s website (here). Reuters previously fact-checked claims in 2021 and 2022 that Dominion had lost its lawsuits against Giuliani and Powell (here) and (here). A company spokesperson as well as court filings show that Dominion’s lawsuits against Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell are ongoing as of Aug. 11, 2023, with discovery scheduled until 2025.

Persons: Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Giuliani, Powell, Donald Trump’s, Dominion isn’t, ”, Carl Nichols, Read Organizations: Voting, Dominion, Twitter, Facebook, Free Law, U.S, District, Reuters

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

[1/2] A Fox News channel sign is seen on a television vehicle outside the News Corporation building in New York City, in New York, U.S. November 8, 2017. The deal follows Fox's April 18 agreement to pay Dominion $787.5 million to settle the voting-technology company's defamation suit in Delaware. In firing her, Fox said her legal claims were "riddled with false allegations against Fox and our employees." She had also sought unspecified damages in a similar lawsuit in Delaware Superior Court, which she dismissed in May. The program on which Grossberg worked, "Tucker Carlson Tonight," was the top-rated prime-time U.S. cable TV news show.

Persons: Shannon Stapleton, Abby Grossberg, Tanvir Rahman, Tucker Carlson, Dominion, Grossberg, Carlson, “, ” Grossberg, Fox, ” Dominion, Gretchen Whitmer, Tudor Dixon, octogenarian, Nancy Pelosi, Maria Bartiromo, Kevin McCarthy, Helen Coster, Doina Chiacu, Leslie Adler Organizations: Fox, News Corporation, REUTERS, Fox Corp, Fox News, Voting, Dominion, Delaware Superior Court, Democratic, Republican, U.S ., Thomson Locations: New York City, New York, U.S, Delaware, Manhattan, Delaware Superior, Grossberg's Manhattan

☆ Fox News finalizing settlement with former producer who accused network of coercion and rampant sexism
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

She later accused Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott of being complicit in the alleged coercion and claimed Fox’s lawyers deleted messages from her phone. Grossberg also made a number of eye-popping allegations about the workplace environment at Fox News, accusing the network of rampant sexism. Fox News previously said that Grossberg’s lawsuit was “riddled with false allegations.” The network repeatedly insisted that its lawyers always acted appropriately. Regardless, Grossberg’s eleventh-hour lawsuit unquestionably changed the course of Dominion’s case against Fox News, which ultimately settled for an unprecedented $787 million. Smartmatic, another election technology company suing Fox News, has also subpoenaed Grossberg to testify in its case against the network.

Persons: CNN —, Abby Grossberg, Lachlan Murdoch, Maria Bartiromo, Tucker Carlson, Suzanne Scott, Grossberg, ” Grossberg, Nancy Pelosi “ Organizations: CNN, CNN — Fox, Fox News, Systems, Fox, Dominion, New Locations: New York

Those weaknesses were previously verified by federal cybersecurity officials, who urged election officials across the country to update their systems. Georgia election officials insist it is highly unlikely that the vulnerabilities will be exploited in real attacks. Georgia officials have dismissed the potential for these weaknesses to be exploited. But Georgia has not implemented the recommended security patch and state officials said they are waiting to do so until after 2024. The report was placed under seal by a judge “given the serious election security concerns” raised by its potential release, according to court records.

Persons: Brad Raffensperger, Mike Hassinger, ” Gabriel Sterling, Alex Halderman, ”, Halderman, Mitre Organizations: Washington CNN, Republican, CNN, Dominion, Systems, University of Michigan, Mitre Corp Locations: Georgia

In the month since the settlement, Fox has refused to comment in detail on the case or the many subsequent setbacks. That has left a string of unanswered questions: Why did the company not settle earlier and avoid the release of private emails and texts from executives and hosts? How did Fox’s pretrial assessment so spectacularly miss the mark? Repeatedly, Fox executives overlooked warning signs about the damage they and their network would sustain, The Times found. When pretrial rulings went against the company, Fox did not pursue a settlement in any real way.

Poulos, Dominion’s co-founder and chief executive, spoke about his experience settling the historic lawsuit during an interview at the Sir Harry Evans Global Summit in Investigative Journalism in London. Dominion sued Fox News and parent company Fox Corp (FOXA.O) in 2021 over the network’s coverage of false vote-rigging claims about the voting technology firm. The settlement, which legal experts said was the largest struck by a U.S. media company, was announced by the two sides and the judge in the case at the 11th hour. Dominion’s settlement with Fox is part of a broader legal campaign by the company to seek accountability from companies and individuals whom it claims have spread falsehoods about its technology. The company is also suing former Trump lawyers Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani, conservative media networks One America News Network and Newsmax Media, and others.

☆ Fox posts quarterly loss on Dominion settlement despite boost from Super Bowl, Tubi
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The News Corporation headquarters, which is also home to Fox News, stands in Manhattan on April 18, 2023 in New York City. Fox Corp. reported a quarterly net loss on Tuesday due to the costs related to its settlement with Dominion Voting Systems, despite revenue that was lifted by the Super Bowl and its fast ad-supported streaming service Tubi. Fox notched $4.08 billion in quarterly revenue, up 18% from the same period last year. The company also saw a boost after airing more NFL games during the season and from increased viewership for Tubi. Fox is the top-rated cable news channel, even as prime-time ratings in Carlson's slot have slid since his departure.

☆ Opinion | Tucker Carlson’s Firing by Fox News
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

To the Editor:Re “Fox News Ousts Carlson, a Voice of the Far Right” (front page, April 25):Tucker Carlson’s firing by Fox News is being covered as big news (everywhere except, of course, at Fox News). The coverage includes speculation about whether the firing heralds a change of direction for Fox News away from peddling sensationalist conspiracy theories to its primary audience. Fox News’s business model involves presenting sensationalist, conspiracy-laden fodder to appeal to America’s angry, frightened right wing. This has been so whether the characters have been named Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly or Tucker Carlson. The actor Tucker Carlson has been fired by Fox News, but nobody should assume that Fox News has abandoned the character that he played on TV.

Carlson, the highest-rated single host at Fox News, did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The decision to part ways with Carlson was made Friday evening by Fox Corporation chief executive Lachlan Murdoch and Fox News chief executive Suzanne Scott, a person familiar with the matter said. During his time as a prime time host on Fox News, Carlson ascended to become one of the most influential figures inside the GOP. In a text on Nov. 5, 2020 — two days after the 2020 election — Carlson wrote his producer Alex Pfeiffer: “We worked really hard to build what we have. Last month, she sued Fox News, Carlson, his executive producer Justin Wells and other figures, as well as Fox’s parent corporation.

☆ How Dominion’s Owner Turned a $38 Million Investment Into a Windfall Settlement With Fox News
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Sarah Krouse | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Photo: Mark Makela/ReutersWhen Staple Street Capital invested in Dominion Voting Systems in 2018, the New York private-equity firm foresaw potential risks if the company’s voting machines malfunctioned. It didn’t imagine Dominion would be falsely accused of helping to rig a presidential election. Dominion this week reached a $787.5 million settlement in its defamation suit against Fox News parent Fox Corp. over the network’s 2020 broadcasts that amplified false election-fraud charges. The settlement is a windfall for Staple Street, which paid $38 million for a 76% stake in the business through two private-equity funds.

☆ Dominion’s CEO: Why We Settled the Fox News Lawsuit - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( John Poulos | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Tuesday, when we proudly walked into the Delaware Superior Court, we were going to trial. We knew our case was incredibly strong, and I still believe that at the end of the six-week trial, the jury most likely would have agreed. We had reviewed more than a million internal Fox documents and deposed dozens of people, and Fox’s legal team had reviewed more than a million of ours. At trial, we weren’t expecting any more shocking revelations — we frankly didn’t need any more. The settlement we negotiated accomplished two critical goals: allowing our employees and customers to move forward, and hitting Fox where it hurt most — its bank account.

☆ The Fox-Dominion Settlement
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Journal Editorial Report: The week's best and worst from Kim Strassel, Kyle Peterson and Dan Henninger. Images: Reuters/Shutterstock Composite: Mark KellyThe wailing you heard across the land Tuesday afternoon was the sound of thousands of journalists lamenting the settlement of the defamation lawsuit by Dominion Voting Systems against Fox News. An entire industry of reporters has been denied the schadenfreude of seeing their hated political and media competitor in the dock. An hilariously revealing courtroom account in Politico laments that “hopes were dashed—dreams torpedoed” by the settlement. The settlement is a victory for Dominion, which said Fox will pay $787.5 million.

☆ 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.

☆ Jimmy Kimmel Chides Fox News for Not Covering Its Lawsuit Settlement
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Trish Bendix | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous night’s highlights that lets you sleep — and lets us get paid to watch comedy. Here are the 50 best movies on Netflix right now. Willful IgnoranceFox News and Dominion’s settlement continued to dominate the news cycle on Wednesday — everywhere except on Fox News. Jimmy Kimmel joked the omission was surely an “oversight,” saying he was curious “how Fox News was going to cover the story about themselves” and was unable to find anything about it on their home page.

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