Murdoch’s sworn testimony was made public on Monday as part of a response by Dominion Voting Systems to Fox’s bid to have a judge throw out the election technology company’s $1.6 bill defamation lawsuit. Dominion has alleged that Fox broadcast comments made by Trump-affiliated lawyers Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani that defamed the voting company.
Murdoch was also quoted in Monday’s filing as stating on the record that Fox News executives should be “reprimanded, maybe got rid of” if they have been proven to have known that lies were being broadcast on the network.
A previous filing from Dominion made public on Feb. 16 contained evidence that Murdoch did not believe the allegations of voter fraud made by Trump’s attorneys on Fox programs. In the latest filing, Dominion cites Murdoch acknowledging that he doubted the claims from the beginning.
“I mean, we thought everything was on the up-and-up,” he said in his deposition. “I think that was shown when we announced Arizona,” referring to Fox’s election-night prediction that Joe Biden would win the highly contested state.
Murdoch acknowledged that he had a “long talk” with his son, Fox Corp chief executive Lachlan Murdoch, and Fox News executive Suzanne Scott, about “the direction Fox should take” after the some once-loyal Fox viewers turned away after the Arizona call. When Rupert Murdoch was pushed by Jared Kushner, the former president’s son-in-law, to recant the call, Murdoch recounted in his deposition that he refused to do so and said, “Well, the numbers are the numbers.”
This is a breaking story that will be updated.
