One of the most high-profile U.S. media cases in decades began Tuesday in a Delaware court, with Fox Corp and Fox News facing a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit by Dominion Voting Systems. 2020 presidential election.
Here’s the timeline of key events leading up to the trial:
November 3, 2020 — Just before midnight on Election Day, Fox became the first media outlet to call Arizona, a key battleground state for 2020 presidential election winner Democratic Joe Biden. The decision immediately sparked the ire of then-U.S. President Donald Trump and his allies.
November 8, 2020 — A day after calling for a Biden election, Fox invited Trump ally and attorney Sidney Powell on air for the first time, mistaking the Dominion for a “scam” and “flip of the vote” in favor of Biden. criticized for
November 13, 2020 — Fox’s internal fact-checking unit determined there was no evidence of “extensive fraud” or “major problems with Dominion’s system” in the election, Fox internal documents show. .
November 15, 2020 — Fox’s average daytime viewership is down 35% from the night before the election, according to statistics cited in the Dominion lawsuit. Right-wing competitor ratings surged over the same period.
After November 2020 — A constant stream of audits and investigations by election officials finds no evidence of vote tampering, and the Dominion repeatedly calls on Fox to retract its reporting.
December 2020 to January 2021 — Powell and Rudy Giuliani, another former Trump attorney and election conspiracy theory propagandist, Rudy Giuliani appears repeatedly on Fox to spread their false allegations.
March 26, 2021 — Dominion is suing Fox News in Delaware Superior Court. The company sued Fox Corp individually eight months later, and the lawsuits were eventually consolidated.
December 16, 2021 — Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis has denied Fox’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit.
March 31, 2023 — Mr. Davis has ruled that the statements aired on Fox are false, defamatory, and not covered by the legal protections of the press under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. This decision limited Fox primarily to contesting Dominion’s claim for damages, arguing that Dominion did not knowingly defame the company or act recklessly.
April 12, 2023 — Davis imposed sanctions on Fox after it was revealed that Fox did not turn over the relevant recordings and transcripts until the night before the trial. Fox’s attorneys handed them over as soon as they obtained them from a former employee suing another network.
April 16, 2023 — Davis delayed the trial by a day without giving a reason, two sources told Reuters that Fox and Dominion were in last-minute settlement talks.
Reported by Jack Queen. Edited by Noeleen Walder and Daniel Wallis
