Dominion Defamation Suit Against Fox News (1 Viewer)

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    MT15

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    The newest court filing is a true bombshell. Fox Executives’ and hosts’ texts and emails portray a consensus that the stories about the 2020 election being stolen were bunk, completely false, and yet they made a conscious decision to highlight them anyway.

    There is so much coming out that this can use its own thread, as suggested.
     
    Guess this can go here
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    Experts say conservative network Fox News could face a “a fairly strong” lawsuit from a man who Tucker Carlson repeatedly accused of working as a government agent and carrying out the January 6 insurrection.

    Carlson, who was fired from the network in April, repeatedly alleged that Ray Epps was a secret government agent who coordinated the January 6 riots, the New York Times reported.

    Epps, a Trump supporter and former marine, has been at the center of a far-right conspiracy theory after an article by a rightwing website argued that he was spared from criminal charges because of his covert role.

    Carlson and other rightwing figures, including members of Congress, have latched onto the false theory that Epps was a government agent involved in whipping up the January 6 attack.

    In almost 20 episodes of his talkshow, Carlson reiterated the conspiracy theory that Epps was an undercover operative who “helped stage-manage the insurrection”.

    Carlson repeatedly argued that Epps was recorded on camera urging others to enter the Capitol, but never entered the building himself.

    In one 10-minute video posted to YouTube, Carlson claimed that it was “highly strange” that Epps hadn’t been arrested and alluded that the Times’ coverage on Epps was attempting to “cover something up”.

    Epps has been questioned by the January 6 committee, and could still face charges as the investigation continues, the Times reported. He and his wife have received death threats and fled from their home in Arizona, fearing for their safety, according to the Associated Press.……

    Unlike Dominion, which is a business, Epps is a private individual who will have to meet a lower standard for defamation suits compared to a public figure or government official, said Lin.

    “In a sense, it could be much easier for him to pursue a defamation claim against Fox News,” said Lin, adding that Epps needs to prove the statements made on Fox are false and caused damage to his reputation and financial damage.

    Lin added that if a lawsuit moves forward, Fox News could argue that statements made about Epps were an opinion or that the claims would be regarded as obviously false to listeners.…..

    "Far right conspiracy theory" seen on video...



    Epps is still listed on the FBI’s Twitter page about the people who committed violence on January 6th.
     
    Well, whaddya know? Someone said on Twitter that he has hired one of the Dominion lawyers.


    “In the aftermath of the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, conspiracy theorists baselessly suggested that the assault was a so-called “false flag” operation staged by the federal government to make supporters of then-President Donald Trump look bad.

    As part of that conspiracy theory, some right-wing figures falsely claimed Epps was part of a secret FBI plot to orchestrate the attack.

    Carlson repeatedly breathed life into those conspiracies by giving them attention on his highly rated program. On many occasions, Carlson specifically mentioned Epps on his show, and played footage from January 6 of Epps outside the Capitol.

    “Fox’s lies about Epps reached hundreds of millions of people and caused enormous harm to Epps,” the lawsuit said, accusing the network of running a “years-long campaign spreading falsehoods” about him that “destroyed” his life.

    “As Fox recently learned in its litigation against Dominion Voting Systems, its lies have consequences,” the lawsuit added.

    Epps’ lawsuit said he was a “poorly cast villain” for Fox News and Carlson, describing him as a former Trump-voting Marine who “was an avid and loyal Fox viewer and fan of Mr. Carlson’s.” In fact, the lawsuit indicated Epps was at the US Capitol on January 6 because he was “persuaded by the lies broadcast by Fox asserting the election had been stolen.””
     
    Well, whaddya know? Someone said on Twitter that he has hired one of the Dominion lawyers.


    “In the aftermath of the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, conspiracy theorists baselessly suggested that the assault was a so-called “false flag” operation staged by the federal government to make supporters of then-President Donald Trump look bad.

    As part of that conspiracy theory, some right-wing figures falsely claimed Epps was part of a secret FBI plot to orchestrate the attack.

    Carlson repeatedly breathed life into those conspiracies by giving them attention on his highly rated program. On many occasions, Carlson specifically mentioned Epps on his show, and played footage from January 6 of Epps outside the Capitol.

    “Fox’s lies about Epps reached hundreds of millions of people and caused enormous harm to Epps,” the lawsuit said, accusing the network of running a “years-long campaign spreading falsehoods” about him that “destroyed” his life.

    “As Fox recently learned in its litigation against Dominion Voting Systems, its lies have consequences,” the lawsuit added.

    Epps’ lawsuit said he was a “poorly cast villain” for Fox News and Carlson, describing him as a former Trump-voting Marine who “was an avid and loyal Fox viewer and fan of Mr. Carlson’s.” In fact, the lawsuit indicated Epps was at the US Capitol on January 6 because he was “persuaded by the lies broadcast by Fox asserting the election had been stolen.””
    :munch:
     
    Months after Fox settled with Dominion Voting Systems for a whopping $787m over false election claims, the network chose to air a portion of a pre-taped town hall with former President Donald Trump where he made false election claims.

    Mr Hannity asked Mr Trump at a Fox town hall in Iowa whether he now embraced “early voting, vote by mail, and legal ballot harvesting?”


    “I do, but I also have to say something else…They also create phony ballots and that’s a real problem. That’s my opinion – a lot of phony ballots,” Mr Trump replied, receiving a round of applause from the audience.

    The Fox News host again asked if the 2024 GOP frontrunner will encourage early voting and vote by mail with the current system, adding “I think if you don’t, it’s a big mistake.”

    Mr Trump said he “will” encourage early voting but warned, “those ballots get lost also, Sean. You know, they send them in and all of a sudden, they’re gone. Those ballots get lost also.”……



     
    he has only the best lawyers
    The controversy erupted when Lambert provided the confidential Dominion documents to Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf, who has embraced conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and has used his office to hunt for supposed voter fraud against Donald Trump. In the last 24 hours, Leaf has posted more than 2,000 internal Dominion documents on his social media account.

    Lambert had access to the Dominion files because she represents former Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne, who is being sued for defamation by the voting company over his 2020 election lies. As part of the case, they have access to “discovery” from Dominion, whose lawyers said they have already turned over more than a million documents.
     
    Lambert had access to the Dominion files because she represents former Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne, who is being sued for defamation by the voting company over his 2020 election lies. As part of the case, they have access to “discovery” from Dominion, whose lawyers said they have already turned over more than a million documents.
    Trumps main job is to take down curt lawyers the hard way I guess.
     
    Guess this can go here
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    The chief executive of Newsmax deleted text messages and the company allowed key employees to delete emails as part of an effort to conceal evidence the outlet knew it was broadcasting falsehoods about the 2020 election, lawyers for the voting machine company Smartmatic said in an acerbic court filing last weekobtained by the Guardian.

    The allegations were made as part of a motion for sanctions in an ongoing defamation case Smartmatic filed against Newsmax for making false and outlandish claims about the company after the last presidential election. The case is planned to go to trial in September in Delaware superior court.

    The motion, which contains significant redactions, says Newsmax’s chief executive, Christopher Ruddy, deleted text messages after the company was asked to preserve documents and communications as part of a lawsuit. Smartmatic also alleges that Newsmax allowed emails from Gary Kanofsky, its news director, who tried to warn other Newsmax staffers against broadcasting false claims about Smartmatic, to be deleted.


    Smartmatic attorneys also claim that Newsmax allowed messages from the editorial director, David Perel, to be deleted even though he warned Ruddy about the credibility of a source and was responsible for drafting Newsmax’s journalistic practices.

    Newsmax, which denies publishing libelous claims, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. NBC News first reported the court filing.

    The messages are relevant to the case because Smartmatic needs to prove that Newsmax had “actual malice” and knew the statements were false or acted with reckless disregard to the truth and published them anyway.

    “Newsmax destroyed the text messages and emails of key executives responsible for its defamatory campaign against Smartmatic. This was not a mistake,” Smartmatic lawyers wrote in the court papers. “Newsmax’s cover-up worked. Critical documents, including text messages and emails going directly to Newsmax’s actual malice and motive, were permanently deleted.”…….

     
    Guess this can go here
    =============

    The chief executive of Newsmax deleted text messages and the company allowed key employees to delete emails as part of an effort to conceal evidence the outlet knew it was broadcasting falsehoods about the 2020 election, lawyers for the voting machine company Smartmatic said in an acerbic court filing last weekobtained by the Guardian.

    The allegations were made as part of a motion for sanctions in an ongoing defamation case Smartmatic filed against Newsmax for making false and outlandish claims about the company after the last presidential election. The case is planned to go to trial in September in Delaware superior court.

    The motion, which contains significant redactions, says Newsmax’s chief executive, Christopher Ruddy, deleted text messages after the company was asked to preserve documents and communications as part of a lawsuit. Smartmatic also alleges that Newsmax allowed emails from Gary Kanofsky, its news director, who tried to warn other Newsmax staffers against broadcasting false claims about Smartmatic, to be deleted.


    Smartmatic attorneys also claim that Newsmax allowed messages from the editorial director, David Perel, to be deleted even though he warned Ruddy about the credibility of a source and was responsible for drafting Newsmax’s journalistic practices.

    Newsmax, which denies publishing libelous claims, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. NBC News first reported the court filing.

    The messages are relevant to the case because Smartmatic needs to prove that Newsmax had “actual malice” and knew the statements were false or acted with reckless disregard to the truth and published them anyway.

    “Newsmax destroyed the text messages and emails of key executives responsible for its defamatory campaign against Smartmatic. This was not a mistake,” Smartmatic lawyers wrote in the court papers. “Newsmax’s cover-up worked. Critical documents, including text messages and emails going directly to Newsmax’s actual malice and motive, were permanently deleted.”…….

    Hmm…Did their IT people tell them that there’s always backup or multiple backups.
     

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