WILMINGTON: A judge has said that Fox News has a “Credibility Problem” ahead of a $1.6 billion Defamation Trial after the company disclosed for the first time in nearly two years of litigation that Rupert Murdoch was an officer of the network.
Superior Court Judge Eric Davis criticised Fox attorneys for having previously stated that Murdoch was not an officer of the network, only to reverse on the eve of a trial scheduled to start on Monday over the broadcaster’s coverage of false claims about the 2020 Presidential election that it was rigged. Davis called the delayed disclosure “bizarre” and chastised Fox attorneys for making those statements.
During a hearing in Wilmington, Delaware, Judge Davis admitted, “I am not really happy right now. Fox News, you have a credibility issue. Dominion Voting Systems claims Fox hurt its business by deliberately and frequently airing untrue allegations that Dominion voting equipment was used to rig the 2020 election in favour of Democrat Joe Biden, who won, rather than Republican former President Donald Trump.”
Justin Nelson, an attorney for Dominion, claimed that his client was informed of Murdoch’s position on Sunday and that it received the first document containing Murdoch’s title as Fox News executive chairman on Tuesday morning. Murdoch, the chairman of Fox Corp, the parent company of Fox News, is scheduled to give a witness statement.
‘Fox News knowingly spread false claims’
Dominion argues that several internal Fox communications and depositions by Murdoch and others show top network executives knew the election-rigging claims were untrue but broadcast them to please Fox’s conservative followers.
According to Dominion attorney Nelson, Fox News had denied that Murdoch was a company officer, which affected how Dominion prosecuted the case.
Murdoch would have probably been subject to a more thorough investigation by Dominion as a Fox News officer. “We are in this situation, which is quite frightening,” Nelson remarked.
A Fox attorney testified during the hearing that Murdoch revealed the title in a February deposition and described it as “honorific.”
Dominion’s counsel referred to this filing during his deposition, and Rupert Murdoch has been identified as executive chairman of Fox News in its SEC filings since 2019, according to the network.
Murdoch was identified in Fox’s proxy document as the executive chairman of the news industry in 2019 when Fox Corp was established using part of the former 21st Century Fox’s assets.
Fox News did not immediately respond when asked why earlier court papers did not mention Murdoch’s position as executive chairman.
