Fox News settled the defamation lawsuit filed by way of Dominion Voting Systems for a whopping $787.5 million, however left a lot of its critics seething with frustration when the network used to be not pressured to express regret on air. However those offended voices should in finding delight because of the different whopper of a defamation swimsuit still looming over Fox — and the plaintiff’s lead assistance vowed to are looking for retractions and apologies from Rupert Murdoch’s firm along with a major pile of money.

Dominion sued Fox for $1.6 billion over twenty statements that aired on the Fox News Channel and Fox Industry Community accusing their firm of serving to perpetrate fraud in the 2020 election. Right because the blockbuster trial was once set to begin in Delaware — a jury had been picked — the choose introduced that the events had reached a settlement.

However previous to that settlement, pre-trial discovery uncovered a shocking trove of communications between Fox’s executives and on-air skill, admitting that they knew former President Donald Trump had lost the election and his claims of fraud were unfounded. In March, the decide issued a summary judgment ruling that was once generally seen as devastating to Fox, discovering that all twenty of the statements Fox made on air about Dominion were statements of truth and now not safe opinion, and that it was once “CRYSTAL clear” (emphasis in authentic) they were all false and constituted defamation per se.

Smartmatic, another vote casting know-how company, has additionally sued Fox for $2.7 billion, arguing that it was “grievously harmed on account of the deranged lies Fox aired,” mentioned CNN anchor Jake Tapper Thursday afternoon as he introduced Erik Connolly, Smartmatic’s lead trial attorney.

Fox issued a statement Wednesday about the Smartmatic lawsuit, defiantly defending its protection of the 2020 election with wording that strongly echoed the arguments it put forth in the Dominion case, claiming that the accusations against Smartmatic it aired were “extremely newsworthy” and the corporate’s damages claims were “improbable, disconnected from reality, and on its face supposed to sit back First Modification freedoms.”

Tapper asked Connolly if Smartmatic would have the ability to “use what Dominion already dug up — the entire depositions and text messages and emails displaying that executives at Fox and hosts of Fox knew that they had been airing lies for months on end.”

“Completely,” Connolly answered, announcing that Dominion’s “stunning” proof, had painted “a damning picture for Fox” and can be a part of what they’d use to indicate Smartmatic’s case used to be “as sturdy as imaginable.”

Smartmatic’s case used to be “actually unique,” Connolly argued, because of the “recklessness” of Fox, since the firm was “in L.A. County, L.A. County handiest, and you can confirm that we are in L.A. County handiest through doing about a one-minute Google search,” however Fox nonetheless had been “pronouncing that we somehow masterminded an ability to rig a national election.”

Tapper brought up how he had interviewed the Dominion CEO John Poulos on Wednesday and requested him why the corporate hadn’t demanded an on-air apology and correction from Fox, and if after observing the Dominion case, if Smartmatic can be pushing for an apology and correction.

Connolly responded that he needed everyone to “recall to mind the long haul right here,” as Smartmatic used to be.

“They wish to take this case thru trial,” he explained. “They’re having a look throughout the vindication of a jury verdict in their prefer…that used to be their intention once they filed this lawsuit. That’s their intention nowadays.”

The legal professional continued, announcing it was once “equally necessary” how Smartmatic was once additionally trying to be within the elections expertise industry for the long haul, and had “spent over 20 years constructing a worldwide popularity as being one of the perfect election technology firms on the planet.”

That popularity was “crucial to them,” mentioned Connolly, “and in order for them to get back to where they have been earlier than this all began, the place they are able to win the contracts that they’re now losing, they need to get an apology, they need to get a full retraction, as a result of they’re in that business for the long haul….this can be a family owned industry which have spent their complete lives constructing this.”

Tapper asked him if Fox offered Smartmatic $787.5 million as a contract — the same determine Dominion scored — however no apology or correction, would they take it?

Connolly responded that number was a “wonderful result for Dominion, and from our standpoint that set down a marker — and it’s a marker that we think we will have to be exceeding,” because the “scope of the damage achieved by means of Fox to Smartmatic” used to be on a world scale because Smartmatic operates on a worldwide scale and Dominion’s settlement was once to catch up on the trade they were losing simply in the United States.

That quantity, $787 million, was “a excellent begin” for a possible Smartmatic settlement, “nevertheless it’s not the suitable finishing point,” mentioned Connolly.

Tapper closed the interview via urging Connolly not to settle: “Don’t put out of your mind in regards to the American folks. Don’t omit about the individuals who care about democracy. Don’t disregard about the people who care about truth, as a result of we don’t have a capability to sue for those lies. You do, but we don’t, so please don’t omit about us, whilst you’re when you’re developing with the top of this case.”

“Thank you very much, sir,” spoke back Connolly. “We received’t.”

Reached for comment, a spokesperson for Fox despatched Mediaite the identical remark the community had prior to now launched:

We will be able to manage to shield this case surrounding extraordinarily newsworthy events when it goes to trial, probably in 2025. As a file prepared with the aid of our financial professional displays, Smartmatic’s damages claims are implausible, disconnected from truth, and on its face supposed to relax First Modification freedoms.

Watch above via CNN.

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