Dominion Attorneys And CEO Talk About $787.5 Million Settlement Of Fox Defamation Case: “The Truth Matters, Lies Have Consequences”
About 15 minutes after a surprise settlement with Fox on Tuesday, Dominion Voting Systems’ lead attorney Justin Nelson stood before a horde of reporters waiting for any details on how the case was resolved.
“The truth matters. Lies have consequences…Today’s settlement of $787,500,000 represents vindication and accountability,” he said, as journalists feverishly tweeted and texted the amount.
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Then Nelson went in to what the settlement means for Dominion and the country.
“The truth does not know red or blue. People across the political spectrum can and should disagree on issues even of the most profound importance. For our democracy to endure for another 250 years, and hopefully much longer, we must share a commitment to facts. Misinformation will not go away. It may only get worse. This litigation cannot solve all problems. All of us remain ever vigilant to find common factual ground. Today represents a ringing endorsement for truth, and for democracy.”
What Nelson and other attorneys did not say was whether there was any kind of agreement for Fox to issue an apology or air a retraction. Fox released a statement minutes earlier in which it acknowledged “the court’s rulings finding certain claims about Dominion to be false.”
John Poulos, the CEO of Dominion, said that Fox “has admitted to telling lies about Dominion that caused enormous damage to my company, our employees and the customers that we serve. Nothing can ever make up for that. Throughout this process we sought accountability.”
“The evidence brought to light through this case underscores the consequences of spreading lies. Truthful reporting in the media is essential to our democracy, Dominion, our employees, our people are grateful to the court for allowing us the process for the truth to come out. I cannot thank the election officials that we serve enough. Without them there is no democracy, and the work they tirelessly do to that end, the deserve much better.”
Settlement talks had been rumored for days, but after the jury was selected this morning, it looked as if the trial would be on its way, with opening statements to begin this afternoon.
But after a lunch break, the judge returned and quickly went behind closed doors with Nelson, Fox’s lead attorney Dan Webb and other lawyers. The journalists who filled the courtroom’s 200 seats waited and waited and waited, and then started to speculate. Reporters quickly examined body language, including moments when Nelson and Webb huddled, peering at something on Nelson’s iPhones. At one point, Nelson put his arm around Webb’s shoulder. Then, Nelson left the courtroom, beaming. As he returned, he was asked what was up. “Just going to the restroom,” he said, still smiling.
Finally, just minutes before the market close at 4 p.m. ET, the judge returned. He called the jury back then announced that the case was resolved.
This is not it for Fox. It still faces a lawsuit from Smartmatic, the voting software company that filed a $2.7 billion lawsuit in New York.
Dominion and Smartmatic also have claims against two other outlets, Newsmax and One America News Network, that also amplified false election claims. Dominion also has litigation pending against Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Mike Lindell and MyPillow, and Patrick Byrne.
A Newsmax spokesperson said that they believe “the facts at issue in Dominion’s case against it are materially different from those that may have driven Fox to settle, and no conclusion about Newsmax should be drawn from that settlement. Newsmax stands by its coverage and analysis of the 2020 election and will continue to vigorously defend against the claim.”
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