According to a transcript of Rupert Murdoch's testimony in the defamation lawsuit Fox Corp. is currently fighting, the media organization's chairman downplayed the culpability of some of his high-profile employees – while bluntly hanging others out to dry.
As the Washington Post's Aaron Blake noted, Murdoch's testimony will loom large in Dominion Voting Systems' $1.6 billion lawsuit. The election voting machine maker claims Fox promoted lies about Donald Trump's 2020 election loss.
With the elderly media mogul admitting, "I would have liked us to be stronger in denouncing it, in hindsight,” Blake also pointed out that he had no qualms about throwing two Fox personalities, Maria Bartiromo and Lou Dobbs, who has since been fired, under the bus while downplaying other's election conspiracy comments.
As Blake wrote, "In the deposition, Dominion’s lawyers posited to Murdoch that 'Fox did more than simply host these guests and give them a platform.' He granted that the evidence supported that conclusion.
'In fact, you are now aware that Fox endorsed at times this false notion of a stolen election?' the lawyers asked."
"This time, Murdoch did quibble — but only with the idea that Fox as an entity endorsed such claims. He granted that certain hosts did. Maria Bartiromo? 'Yes. C’mon,” Jeanine Pirro? 'I think so.' Lou Dobbs? 'Oh, a lot.' Sean Hannity? 'A bit.'"
Murdoch then conceded, "Some of our commentators were endorsing it. Yes. They endorsed.”
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