Fox Settles Landmark Defamation Suit, Spares Murdoch From Witness Stand

The bombshell $1.6 billion defamation trial of Fox News ended hours after it began as the cable news behemoth settled with Dominion Voting Systems Tuesday, just as opening arguments were set to begin.

The dramatic settlement spared Fox News’ 92-year-old founder, Rupert Murdoch, from taking the witness stand. Terms were not immediately disclosed. The deal in the Wilmington, Delaware, federal case came in the early afternoon, following the earlier selection of 12 jurors and a dozen alternates.

Dominion sued Fox and its parent company Fox Corporation, claiming it knowingly spread false claims about its vote-counting equipment following the 2020 election. Fox guests and allegedly some hosts claimed Dominion had paid government bribes, switched votes and was founded in Venezuela to rig elections for Hugo Chávez.