Rupert Murdoch faces Fox defamation trial that could be crucial to his empire

12 April 2023 , 20:10

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The trial is due to start jury selection this week (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Rupert Murdoch faces the start of a £1.3billion defamation trial today billed as a possible death blow to the tycoon’s media empire.

The civil hearing centres on falsehoods pushed by star presenters on his Fox News channel about ballot counting machines used in the 2020 US election.

Dominion Voting Systems is suing Fox for $1.6bn (£1.3bn), claiming the broadcaster damaged its reputation by repeatedly airing conspiracy theories that the voting machine firm helped orchestrate a fraud that cost former President Donald Trump re-election.

Mr Murdoch, 92, has already given a deposition admitting his stars endorsed a false stolen-election claim.

Speaking under oath, he confirmed the suggestion by a Dominion lawyer that Fox was “trying to straddle the line between spewing conspiracy theories on one hand, yet calling out the fact that they are actually false on the other”.

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Murdoch has given deposition admitting his stars endorsed Trump's false stolen-election claim (AP)

Unsealed documents include excerpts from a deposition in which Mr Murdoch was asked if he was aware Fox commentators Lou Dobbs, Maria Bartiromo, Jeanine Pirro and Sean Hannity at times endorsed the false election claims. He replied: “Yes. They endorsed.”

On Tuesday the Delaware judge handling the case said Fox has a “credibility problem” after Dominion alleged it had been misled about Mr Murdoch’s exact role at the network.

Fox had previously told the court he was not an officer of the company, only for it to be confirmed last week.

Its lawyers tried to insulate Murdoch family members and keep them from testifying live before a jury, arguing that their roles at parent firm Fox Corp put them at a distance from the Fox News shows that aired the bogus claims.

The disclosure came after Superior Court Judge Eric Davis asked who Fox News’ officers were during a pre-trial meeting last week. After the disclosure he said: “My problem is that it has been represented to me more than once that he is not an officer.”

The judge suggested that, had he known of Mr Murdoch’s dual role at Fox Corp and Fox News, he might have reached different conclusions in his pre-trial rulings.

Jury selection for the trial starts today.

Christopher Bucktin