CNN’s Elie Honig Suspects Fox News Got Cold Feet With Reported Late Push to Settle Dominion Lawsuit
CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig broke down the reporting that Dominion Voting Systems’s $1.6 billion lawsuit against Fox News was pushed back a day to allow for a potential settlement.
Dominion’s defamation lawsuit was supposed to go to trial on Monday, but on Sunday night, news broke that it was going to be postponed by a day. Reports also indicate that Fox News is making a new, last attempt to settle with Dominion before the trial begins.
When Honig spoke about this with his colleagues for CNN This Morning, he noted the common practice where judges would grant defendants extra time before trial if they say they’re working toward a settlement. Honig called this “the most likely scenario” for the Dominion trial before adding, “there’s something about being on the eve of trial that can really sober up both parties.”
“Look at it from Fox’s point of view: they’re looking at the likelihood — if there’s a trial — of having all of their, or many of their, most prominent anchors have to take the stand, testify and get cross-examined,” Honig said. “You can understand why they would be hit by reality at the last moment, say, ‘We need to avoid this.'”
After assessing that Dominion “has a very strong case here for defamation,” Honig conceded, “you never really know” what the jury could decide if the trial happens. He went on to explain that the settlement negotiations would not only pertain to how much Fox would have to pay in damages, but also whether the network will have to make an admission of guilt for amplifying unsubstantiated conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.
“Keep in mind, the judge here has already made a finding — as a matter of law — that Fox’s statements about the 2020 election and about Dominion were false. So that is on the record,” Honig said. “The only question at trial was going to be is there actual malice? Did Fox know, or were they reckless about the falsity?”
Watch above via CNN.
