The walls are starting to crumble at Fox Entertainment. The Dominion $1.6 billion law suit trial is now only a week away. However, yesterday, Fox announced that it had settled another defamation lawsuit filed by Venezuelan businessman, Majed Khalil. Khalil claimed that Fox had falsely accused him and other Venezuelans of rigging the 2020 election against Donald Trump. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed. Fox, did issue a statement, as follows,
“This matter has been resolved amicably by both sides. We have no further comment.”
Fox, very well, may get more troubling news this week, relating to the trial. Fox, last Thursday, requested the judge to prohibit any references to the January 6 insurrection and to threats made against Dominion employees. Fox argued that,
“Dominion’s defamation claim has nothing to do with the Capitol riot, and, any reference to the Capitol riot will only unfairly prejudice the jury against Fox, inflame passions, prevent a fair trial, and taint any resulting verdict.”
The big catch phrase on January 6 was ‘stop the steal’. Trump, with Fox blaring the message every day, spread the belief that the election was stolen and that voting machines played a key role in the ‘steal’. It is very likely, the judge will turn that request down. Regarding threats to Dominion employees, Fox argues,
“…allowing Dominion to discuss specific threats and their effect on employees is virtually guaranteed to arouse the jury’s sympathy and provoke a desire to punish Fox for the actions of unrelated third parties.”
No kidding. Again, the defamation of Dominion and the threats made to Dominion employees are connected. How can they not be. The judge will likely turn this request down, also. What it does for Fox though is to give them grounds for appeal. The trial is a week away.