Fox News Reaches $787.5 Million Settlement With Dominion Voting Systems In Defamation Case
April 18 2023, Published 4:21 p.m. ET
Just before opening statements were set to begin in the defamation trial brought by Dominion Voting Systems against Fox News, Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis announced that the major network reached a settlement in the high-stakes case, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Dominion went after Fox News for a jaw-dropping $1.6 billion and eventually reached an agreement at $787.5 million. The company accused the network of spreading damaging misinformation on so-called widespread voter fraud with their machines in the 2020 presidential election.
The start of the trial was delayed on Monday while attorneys for both Dominion and Fox News attempted 11th-hour negotiations. The parties showed up to court on Tuesday but hours later the deal was announced.
"The parties have resolved their case," Judge Davis told the jury as he broke the news that a settlement was reached. "That your service is done and I’m going to excuse you. Sorry about making you wait."
Judge Davis went on to praise attorneys for both parties for the fruitful last minute meeting.
"I have been on the bench since 2010… I think this is the best lawyering I’ve had, ever," Judge Davis said before exiting the bench. "I would be proud to be your judge in the future."
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The settlement marked the end of the case.
Fox News released a statement on the settlement — and claimed they were "pleased" with the outcome.
"We are pleased to have reached a settlement of our dispute with Dominion Voting Systems," Fox News officials said. "We acknowledge the Court's rulings finding certain claims about Dominion to be false."
"This settlement reflects FOX’s continued commitment to the highest journalistic standards," the statement continued. "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 from these issues."
Dominion sued Fox News in 2021 for $1.6 billion in damages and cited "enormous and irreparable economic harm" to their company due to on-air claims from the network.
Leading up to trial, legal filings for the case revealed pages and pages of internal dialogue between Fox News hosts, like Tucker Carlson, and network officials that acknowledged they believed the claims to be bogus.