Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson and Lou Dobbs are among the current and former Fox News personalities facing depositions in Dominion Voting Systems’ $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against the network.
With a trial on the docket for next April, both sides in the case have been in the midst of discovery, with Jeanine Pirro and Steve Doocy also among the Fox News figures on Dominion’s list for depositions.
Hannity is set to be deposed on Wednesday, according to The New York Times, which first reported on the court filing. Carlson is scheduled for Friday and Dobbs on Tuesday, according to court records. Dobbs show was canceled in February, 2021, and he was named with Fox News among the defendants in a separate defamation lawsuit filed by another election company, Smartmatic.
Dominion sued Fox News for $1.6 billion in March, 2021, claiming that the network “sold a false story of election fraud,” arguing that the network amplified, through its personalities and guests, claims that Dominion rigged the results in favor of Joe Biden and against Donald Trump. Dominion claims that, as Fox News lost viewers following the 2020 election to outlets that endorsed Trump’s election lie, they sought to get viewers back “by intentionally and falsely blaming Dominion for President Trump’s loss by rigging the election.”
In a statement, Fox News Media said, “We are confident we will prevail as freedom of the press is foundational to our democracy and must be protected, in addition to the damages claims being outrageous, unsupported and not rooted in sound financial analysis, serving as nothing more than a flagrant attempt to deter our journalists from doing their jobs.”
Earlier this summer. the Delaware judge, Eric M. Davis, ruled that a separate Dominion case against Fox Corp. could move forward, raising the prospect that Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch will be deposed.
Smartmatic sued Fox News, Dobbs, Pirro and Maria Bartiromo, as well as guests Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, in a $2.7 billion claim last year.
The Smartmatic case also in the midst of discovery, and Smartmatic attorneys have recently been subpoenaing figures including former Attorney General William Barr and Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel for documents related to their claim.
swinging-in-the-rain on August 30th, 2022 at 20:05 UTC »
"No reasonable person" defense to be on display again
blazelet on August 30th, 2022 at 19:56 UTC »
Question for lawyers - since these depositions are defamation cases in civil court, that means the targets of the depositions are under oath and not protected by the 5th amendment? What I mean is, they can't refuse to answer citing the 5th amendment, since these 3 particular individuals are not under threat of self incrimination if they testify honestly?
They can still "not remember" things but can't simply refuse to answer?
altera_goodciv on August 30th, 2022 at 19:35 UTC »
Please make these depositions public!