Murdoch Admits Fox News Commentators Endorsed False Election Claims

Fox News chairman Rupert Murdoch acknowledged in a recently unsealed deposition that some of the network's commentators endorsed the false allegations by former President Donald Trump and his allies that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. The claims, which were promoted by commentators like Lou Dobbs, Maria Bartiromo, Jeanine Pirro, and Sean Hannity, are at the heart of a defamation lawsuit against the cable news giant by Dominion Voting Systems. Murdoch's admission reveals concerns at the top-rated network over how it was handling Trump's claims as its ratings plummeted after the network called Arizona for Joe Biden.

Key Takeaways:

Rupert Murdoch, Fox News chairman, admitted in a deposition that some of the network's commentators endorsed the false election claims made by former President Donald Trump and his allies.
The claims, which were promoted by commentators like Lou Dobbs, Maria Bartiromo, Jeanine Pirro, and Sean Hannity, are at the center of a defamation lawsuit against the network by Dominion Voting Systems.
Murdoch testified that he thought it was "really bad" for Rudy Giuliani to be advising Trump because Giuliani's "judgment was bad" and he was "an extreme partisan."
Dominion attorneys contend that some Fox News employees deliberately amplified false claims by Trump supporters that Dominion machines had changed votes in the 2020 election.
Fox Corp. attorneys note that Murdoch never discussed Dominion or voter fraud with any of the accused Fox News hosts and that Dominion has produced "zero evidentiary support" for the claim that high-level executives at Fox Corp. had any role in creating or publishing the statements at issue.
The defamation case is the latest example showing that those who were spreading false information about the 2020 election knew there was no evidence to support it.

Statistics:

4 commentators (Lou Dobbs, Maria Bartiromo, Jeanine Pirro, and Sean Hannity) endorsed the false election claims made by Donald Trump and his allies.
1 text message from November 16, 2020, shows Fox News host Tucker Carlson saying "Sidney Powell is lying" about having evidence for election fraud.
Dominion Voting Systems is suing both Fox News Network and parent company Fox Corp. for defamation.
Dominion claims that some Fox News employees deliberately amplified false claims by Trump supporters that Dominion machines had changed votes in the 2020 election.

Sources:

Dominion Voting Systems court filing [exact source: "Dominion's complaint was filed in Delaware Chancery Court on Feb. 17, 2021."]
Rupert Murdoch deposition excerpt [exact source: Unsealed on Monday, dates not specified]
Dominion's deposition excerpt of Rupert Murdoch [exact source: Dominion's court filing]
Fox Corp. attorneys' filing [exact source: Fox Corp. attorneys' response to Dominion's complaint]