The surprise 11th-hour settlement of the Dominion vs. Fox News lawsuit has set a powerful precedent and a new rule going forward: stop defaming people and corporations for political gain — or else pay the consequences!
Top News Today :
Back in 2020, Fox News falsely told its millions of viewers that Dominion Voting Systems conspired against Donald Trump by using its voting machines to change votes in favor of Joe Biden winning the presidential election. Naturally, Dominion not only denied the bogus claims but filed a defamation lawsuit against Fox News — prompting the “news” network to dial back some of its politically partisan rhetoric.
However, on Tuesday and less than 24 hours before the lawsuit was scheduled to hit the courtroom, Fox News waved the white flag, admitted that it purposely defamed Dominion Voting Systems by acting as a propaganda machine for the Trump/MAGA Republican Party, and then agreed to pay a whopping $787.5 million settlement to the voting machine company — one of the largest payouts in US history!
For as large and financially successful as Fox News is now, a penalty of nearly one billion dollars (just for regurgitating Donald Trump’s lies that he was cheated) will prove to be absolutely decimating for the company and its investors. Moreso, the settlement has already put other political puppets of ‘The Donald’ on notice and has them shaking in their boots.
Dominion Voting Systems not only sued Fox News for its lies regarding a rigged election, but it also sued ‘My Pillow guy’ Mike Lindell, conservative talk network NewsMax, and others for identical claims of defamation. Now that it has successfully slayed the largest dragon (Fox News), winning against My Pillow and NewsMax should be a walk in the park. Or, in other words, all those lies told on behalf of Trump are about to become delightfully expensive, if not potentially bankruptable for a few sycophants.
“Even though it was a settlement, it certainly was a victory for Dominion,” said Margaret M. Russell, a law professor at Santa Clara University. “For other possible defendants, I don’t think this will make them double down; it will make them fearful.”
“Elections have consequences…and so do election lies. The harm done by election lies/denialism since 2020 is immeasurable, but this settlement against Fox News provides accountability & sends a strong message we’re happy to see,” the Democratic secretary of state of New Mexico, Maggie Toulouse Oliver, wrote on Twitter.
So, the lesson for the day is this: don’t defame others just to advance a political agenda. Or, to put it more bluntly, don’t follow Donald Trump down a dead end because all roads lead to legal liability and financial failure.
OK WASSUP! discusses the Top News Today:
Dominion vs. Fox News lawsuit is an expensive lesson.
I won’t pretend it wouldn’t have been quite satisfying to see and hear Hannity, Tucker and the rest of that dangerous and traitorous-azz crew testify under oath about all of their lies.
But I do understand Dominion agreeing to take the 💰 now (and that’s lot of money paid to a company valued at about “$80 million”) rather than have the case probably drag on for years thru endless appeals.