Fox News waved the white flag on Tuesday, settling with Dominion Voting Systems just hours into the first day of the bombshell trial over whether the conservative cable giant committed “actual malice” by peddling election fraud lies about the voting software firm.
In a press conference shortly after the trial was halted, lawyers for Dominion Voting Systems said they’d settled for $787 million—roughly half of what they’d initially sought.
“We are pleased to have reached a settlement of our dispute with Dominion Voting Systems. We acknowledge the Court’s rulings finding certain claims about Dominion to be false,” Fox said in a statement.
“This settlement reflects FOX’s continued commitment to the highest journalistic standards. We are hopeful that our decision to resolve this dispute with Dominion amicably, instead of the acrimony of a divisive trial, allows the country to move forward.”
Dominion’s attorneys arrive for jury selection on Tuesday.
EDUARDO MUNOZ/Reuters
Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis first announced to jurors on Tuesday afternoon that the parties had “resolved the case.” He commended both sides, noting he had never seen such quality work from lawyers in his 13 years on the bench.
“The quality of the briefing, the ability of attorneys to answer questions, the amount of workload that you’ve done in the case—and I just want to say, I would be proud to be your judge in the future,” Davis said.
Rumors of a settlement between the two parties began circulating on the eve of the trial after Davis announced that the start of the proceedings would be delayed by one day. The Wall Street Journal, which is owned by Fox News founder Rupert Murdoch, reported on Sunday that the network was making a late push to settle with Dominion.
In a Sunday legal filing, Fox News lawyers also disputed the damages it would pay if found liable by a jury in the $1.6 billion suit, stating that Dominion had recently softened its claims for alleged lost profits totaling upwards of $600 million. Dominion, however, disputed the network’s characterization of its stance, stating that the “damages claim remains” and that the network was well aware that “our damages exceed $1.6 billion.”
“This does not seem unusual to me,” Davis said on Monday morning while delaying the start of the trial. “I am continuing the matter until tomorrow.”
REVEALED: Fox Stars Think Trumpworld Figures Are Just as ‘Insane’ as You Do
The lawsuit was spurred after various Fox News segments propagated the idea that voting machines made by Dominion were used to rig the 2020 election in favor of Democrats. That and countless conspiracies, including that Dominion was controlled by Venezuela, prompted the company to sue Fox in March 2021 for $1.6 billion in damages.
The case was dragged in court through years of procedural motions before exploding in February, when countless texts, statements, and depositions provided an unprecedented look into Fox News’ operations during the election period.
The texts included Fox stars like Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity, along with various producers, labeling Donald Trump acolytes such as Sidney Powell and Mike Lindell as “dangerous as hell” and “on the crazy train with no brakes.”
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