Fox Host Calls The Claims Aired By His Network 'Obviously False' Amid Settlement News

[SunSeeker]

Source: Huffington Post

Reporting on breaking news that Dominion Voting Systems had settled its landmark defamation lawsuit against Fox News, Howard Kurtz said some of the claims his own network aired about the 2020 presidential election were “obviously false.”

Kurtz joined fellow Fox News anchor Neil Cavuto on “Your World” on Tuesday to cover the news. After reading the right-wing network’s statement on the matter, noting that the statement acknowledged Fox News had broadcast false claims about Dominion, Kurtz explained that the case centered on the false claims that Dominion’s voting machines were rigged.

“Former President Trump and his allies made this case on Fox and elsewhere, that somehow they were stealing votes from Donald Trump and flipping them for Joe Biden. That’s obviously false. Those were conspiracy theories,” he said.

“But the case would have revolved around whether Fox had done due diligence, whether it was reckless, whether it was simply reporting, as the network contends, on an extremely newsworthy matter argued by the then-president of the United States himself.”

Read more: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/fox-news-howard-kurtz-settlement-obviously-false_n_643f3067e4b03c1b88c3712a

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Here's the video:

Link to tweet

As Lawrence O'Donnell pointed out tonight, this was the first time anyone at Fox talked about the case on air. Fox had their so-called "media reporter," Howard Kurtz, speed talk his way through a brief statement. And it's notable that he referred to TFG as "former President Trump" (yes, he used the word "former"!).

Granted it was at mid-afternoon at one of the lower viewership hours, but getting any Fox personality to say "that's obviously false, those were conspiracy theories" is helpful, even if it didn't come with an apology. I guess getting $787.5M was enough of an apology for Dominion.

[BumRushDaShow]

1. And to do it on Cavuto's show was notable too

because he can be a royal blowhard.

Smartmatic's case is up next including targeting individual Faux hosts as well as Kracken and Ghouliani.

[SunSeeker]

2. I hope Smartmatic gets every penny they're asking for, and then some.

[BumRushDaShow]

3. Agree!

(and you are up LATE! Go to bed!!!!! ))

[Dustlawyer]

6. I hope the "then some" includes making the prime time host admit it on air and apologize.

[cstanleytech]

7. I hope even more that they don't settle and take it to court and win at trial.

[Rhiannon12866]

4. Tonight it was reported on MSNBC that this lawsuit was the first of 6 for Dominion

Chris Hayes said they're going after Giuliani, Sidney Powell and "others." And here's the latest I posted about Smartmatic, from March 14th:

Smartmatic (Voting Machine Company) Defamation Lawsuit Approved For Trial - Raw News And Politics

The New York Supreme Court refused to dismiss the Smartmatic defamation lawsuit against FOX News, some of its hosts, and one attorney for Donald Trump. - 03/14/2023.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. Yup

Had posted some stuff from the earlier case text. Here is some more -

A. The parties

Plaintiff U.S. Dominion, Inc. is a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business in Colorado. Plaintiff Dominion Voting Systems, Inc. is a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business in Colorado. Plaintiff Dominion Voting Systems Corporation is an Ontario corporation with its principal place of business in Ontario. Dominion Voting Systems, Inc. and Dominion Voting Systems Corporation are wholly owned subsidiaries of U.S. Dominion, Inc.

(snip)

Defendant Fox is a Delaware LLC with its principal place of business in New York. Fox operates the Fox news Channel, the Fox Business Channel, Fox News Radio, and Fox News Digital, which it refers to collectively as "Fox News Media."

(snip)

B. Relevant nonparties

Maria Bartiromo is a Fox News and Fox Business personality who hosts Mornings with Maria on Fox Business and Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo on Fox News.Ms. Bartiromo is Fox's agent. Fox broadcasts Mornings with Maria and Sunday Morning Futures from New York. Fox also controls Ms. Bartiromo's social media accounts.

(snip)

Tucker Carlson is a Fox News personality and hosts Fox's Tucker Carlson Tonight.Mr. Carlson is Fox's agent. Fox operates Mr. Carlson's Instagram account.

(snip)

Lou Dobbs is a Fox Business personality who hosted Lou Dobbs Tonight. Until at least February 5, 2021, Fox operated Mr. Dobb's social media accounts.

(snip)

Sean Hannity is a Fox News personality and hosts Fox's Hannity. Mr. Hannity is Fox's agent.

(snip)

Jeanine Pirro is a Fox News personality who hosts Justice w/ Judge Jeanine. Ms. Pirro is Fox's agent. Fox operates Ms. Pirro's social media accounts.

(snip)

Sidney Powell is an attorney that briefly pursued litigation challenging the 2020 Presidential Election. Those cases were all summarily dismissed by December 9, 2020. Fox repeatedly hosted Ms. Powell after the 2020 Presidential Election.

(snip)

Rudolph Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City, is a YouTube podcast host, radio show host and attorney to President Donald Trump and the Trump Campaign. Fox repeatedly hosted Mr. Giuliani in the weeks following the 2020 Presidential Election.

(snip)

Mike Lindell is the founder and CEO of My Pillow, Inc. ("MyPillow" ), one of Fox's biggest sponsors. Fox invited Mr. Lindell on Tucker Carlson Tonight, where he repeated lies about Dominion in response to questions about why he had been banned from Twitter.

(snip)

https://casetext.com/case/us-dominion-inc-v-fox-news-network-llc-1/

Pirro and Powell were later removed from Smartmatic's case but I don't think from Dominon's case.

[machoneman]

8. Wow! Hope they are quaking in their shoes by now.

[True Blue American]

9. Howard is the one

Who complained that Fox would not let him cover the Dominion law suit.

[republianmushroom]

10. Yep Kurtz, that is why it is called "Faux News".

Howard Kurtz said some of the claims his own network aired about the 2020 presidential election were “obviously false.”

[ificandream]

11. Before he joined Fox, Kurtz was a decent journalist.

He was a media reporter for the Washington Post and did good work. (I sometimes had to edit his stories for the newspaper I worked for.) But when he joined Fox, the money (or whatever) went to his head. The old "he is a tool" applies to him now. Very sad.