Filings Show Fox News Stars Doubted Election Fraud Claims

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Facts

  • Documents made public Thursday from Dominion Voting Systems’ defamation lawsuit against Fox News reveal internal communications from Fox employees in which notable personalities say former Pres. Trump’s claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election were false and outlandish.1
  • Dominion sued Fox News in March 2021 in Delaware state court, alleging the cable TV network amplified false claims that Dominion voting machines were used to rig the 2020 election against Trump.2
  • The release of documents from the $1.6B lawsuit comes after months of discovery and depositions that were previously private. Much of the focus was on Sidney Powell, a pro-Trump lawyer who spread controversial allegations against Dominion on Fox and other news outlets.3
  • In messages from on-air stars including Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham, and Sean Hannity, as well as Fox Corp founder Rupert Murdoch, personalities describe Powell with terms like “nuts” and show skepticism about voter fraud claims.4
  • According to the filing, Dominion claims “Fox knew” accusations about Dominion rigging the election were “total BS,” yet the company continued to spread “outlandish voter fraud claims” about Dominion.5
  • Fox has stood by its coverage, stating it was within its right to report and comment on the election fraud claims, which were undeniably newsworthy. A five-week trial is set to begin on April 17.6

Sources: 1NBC, 2Reuters, 3CNBC, 4NPR Online News, 5Abc news and 6New York Times.

Narratives

  • Left narrative, as provided by The daily beast. This unsealed filing shows that Fox, all the way to the top of its corporate ladder, knew better. Yet it still promoted dangerous conspiracy theories and provided a platform to dangerous bad actors so it could keep its viewers engaged and spark more division and outrage in the country. Dominion’s attempt to prove “actual malice” just got a little easier.
  • Right narrative, as provided by Threadreaderapp. These messages are being overblown by the mainstream media. They’re actually consistent with what many of the Fox News personalities have said for years. In the weeks following the 2020 election, Carlson even asked Powell to provide evidence on his show and publicly doubted her claims of fraud. How is that inconsistent with his private messages?