Dominion Voting Systems Inc., the company falsely accused of rigging the 2020 presidential election, sued Fox Corp. in an effort to gain access to Chairman Rupert Murdoch’s documents about the contest.
Dominion sued Fox News in March, accusing Fox’s “crown jewel” of defaming it by airing claims that its machines flipped millions of votes away from then-President Donald Trump. But Fox News has balked at searching for evidence from Murdoch or his eldest son, Fox Corp. Chief Executive Officer Lachlan Murdoch, Dominion said in the suit filed in Delaware state court.
“Indeed, Fox News has disclaimed any responsibility for searching or producing the Murdochs’ documents, or working to facilitate any discovery from Fox Corporation at all — despite Fox Corporation’s clear involvement (through Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch, and others) in managing Fox News, including through editorial input and control,” Dominion said.
The document searches are relevant because the Murdochs “exert direct control” over editorial decisions at Fox News, which allegedly pushed the conspiracy theory to avoid losing viewers who supported Trump’s false claims of voter fraud, Dominion argued in the complaint, filed Monday. The new suit also names subsidiary Fox Broadcasting Co., which operates the Fox.com website.
Fox News has so far “disclaimed any responsibility” for defamatory statements that may have appeared on the website, Dominion said.
The suit comes as a judge in Delaware is weighing Fox News’s motion to dismiss the earlier lawsuit on the grounds that the network’s reporting on claims about election fraud is protected by the First Amendment.
Fox didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
