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For all of the curiosity in big-name witnesses and eye-opening personal textual content messages, on the core of the defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems in opposition to Fox Information are 20 particular broadcasts and tweets during which the voting firm says Fox knowingly promoted lies, destroying its fame.
In keeping with the lawsuit, all 20 statements befell between November 8, 2020, and January 26, 2021, and got here within the type of on-air feedback from Fox hosts Jeanine Pirro, Lou Dobbs and Maria Bartiromo; interviews with outstanding pro-Trump election deniers Sidney Powell, Rudy Giuliani and Mike Lindell; and a number of other of Dobbs’ tweets.
The wild allegations within the statements fell into 4 broad classes: that Dominion performed election fraud, that it used algorithms to flip votes, that it had ties to Venezuela and that politicians obtained kickbacks to make use of the corporate.
The decide overseeing the defamation trial has already ruled that these allegations were false, saying it’s “CRYSTAL clear that not one of the Statements regarding Dominion in regards to the 2020 election are true.”
At trial, it is going to be a jury’s job to find out if the statements had been made with “actual malice” – a excessive bar based mostly on understanding falseness or having a reckless disregard for the reality – and doubtlessly award damages. Dominion has requested for $1.6 billion in damages and extra punitive damages, a quantity Fox says is wildly overblown.
Fox has denied wrongdoing and stated the case is a meritless assault on press freedoms. Legal professionals for Fox have argued that Dominion hasn’t come near clearing the excessive bar to show defamation.
Right here’s a more in-depth take a look at these 20 particular broadcasts and tweets of alleged defamation.
The printed: “Sunday Morning Futures” on November 8, 2020.
What they alleged: Election fraud and algorithm flips.
Key false quote: “Sidney, we talked in regards to the Dominion software program. I do know that there have been voting irregularities. Inform me about that,” Bartiromo stated.
“That’s to place it mildly. The pc glitches couldn’t and shouldn’t have occurred in any respect,” Powell stated. “That’s the place the fraud befell the place they had been flipping votes within the pc system or including votes that didn’t exist.”
The printed: “Lou Dobbs Tonight” on November 12, 2020.
What they alleged: Election fraud and Venezuela ties.
Key false quote: “So, we’re utilizing a international firm that’s owned by Venezuelans who’re near – had been near (Hugo) Chávez, at the moment are near (Nicolás) Maduro, have a historical past. They had been based as an organization to repair elections, they’ve a horrible report, and they’re extraordinarily hackable,” Giuliani stated.
The printed: “Lou Dobbs Tonight” on November 13, 2020.
What they alleged: Election fraud, algorithm flips, Venezuela ties, kickbacks.
Key false quote: “Let’s begin with Dominion, a straight out disavowal of any declare of fraud in opposition to the corporate, its software program or machines. Your response,” Dobbs requested.
“Nicely, I can hardly wait to place forth all of the proof we’ve got collected on Dominion, beginning with the actual fact it was created to provide altered voting leads to Venezuela for Hugo Chavez after which shipped internationally to control votes for buy in different international locations, together with this one,” Powell stated.
“We additionally want to have a look at and we’re starting to gather proof on the monetary pursuits of a few of the governors and Secretaries of State who truly purchased into the Dominion Techniques … to line their very own pockets by getting a voting machine in that might both ensure that their election was profitable or they received cash for his or her household from it,” she added.
“Nicely, that’s simple,” Dobbs stated. “You’re going to need to be fast to undergo and to provide that investigation and the outcomes of it.”
The printed: Quote-tweet by Dobbs of Giuliani tweet on November 14, 2020.
What they alleged: Election fraud, algorithm flips, Venezuela ties.
Key false quote: “Do you know a international firm, DOMINION, was counting our vote in Michigan, Arizona and Georgia and different states,” Giuliani wrote.
“Learn all about Dominion and Smartmatic voting firms and also you’ll quickly perceive how pervasive this Democrat electoral fraud is, and why there’s no manner on the planet the 2020 Presidential election was both free or truthful. #MAGA @realDonaldTrump #AmericaFirst #Dobbs,” Dobbs wrote.
The printed: “Justice with Decide Jeanine” on November 14, 2020.
What they alleged: Election fraud, algorithm flips, Venezuela ties.
Key false quote: “It was created for the categorical objective of having the ability to alter votes and safe the reelection of Hugo Chavez after which Maduro. They’ve used it in Argentina,” Powell stated. “There may be an American citizen who has exported it to different international locations and it’s one enormous, enormous felony conspiracy that needs to be investigated by navy intelligence for its nationwide safety implications.”
“Sure. And hopefully the Division of Justice, however who is aware of anymore,” Pirro stated.
The printed: “Fox & Mates Sunday” on November 15, 2020.
What they alleged: Election fraud, algorithm flips, Venezuela ties, kickbacks.
Key false quote: “Sidney Powell can also be speaking about potential kickbacks that authorities officers, who had been requested to make use of Dominion, truly additionally loved advantages to their households,” Bartiromo stated. “We’re going to speak about that arising as effectively.”
The printed: “Sunday Morning Futures” on November 15, 2020.
What they alleged: Election fraud, algorithm flips, Venezuela ties, kickbacks.
Key false quote: “Now we have sworn witness testimony of why the software program was designed. It was designed to rig elections … Now we have a lot proof, I really feel prefer it’s coming in by a fireplace hose,” Powell stated.
“Wow,” Bartiromo stated.
The printed: “Lou Dobbs Tonight” on November 16, 2020.
What they alleged: Election fraud, algorithm flips, Venezuela ties.
Key false quote: “I’ve simply gotten some beautiful proof from a firsthand witness, a high-ranking navy officer, who was current when Smartmatic was designed in a manner that – and I’m going to only learn to you a few of these statements, when you don’t thoughts, so I get them precisely proper,” Powell stated.
“Positive,” Dobbs stated.
Powell continued, “From the affidavit, (Smartmatic was) ‘designed in a manner that the system may change the vote of every voter with out being detected.’”
Powell additionally incorrectly claimed that Smartmatic owns Dominion.
The printed: “Lou Dobbs Tonight” on November 18, 2020.
What they alleged: Election fraud, algorithm flips, Venezuela ties.
Key false quote: “However I imply simply the mere incontrovertible fact that we’ve got a international nation, we had this abroad, completed by associates of an enemy of the USA, Maduro, is outrageous and has to cease instantly,” Giuliani stated.
“It’s outrageous,” Dobbs stated.
The printed: “Lou Dobbs Tonight” on November 19, 2020.
What they alleged: Election fraud, algorithm flips, Venezuela ties.
Key false quote: “Let me put it this fashion, there are literally thousands of individuals in federal prisons on far much less proof of felony conduct than we’ve got already in opposition to the Smartmatic and Dominion Techniques firms,” Powell stated.
The printed: “Justice with Decide Jeanine” on November 21, 2020.
What they alleged: Election fraud, algorithm flips, Venezuela ties.
Key false quote: “The President’s legal professionals alleging an organization referred to as Dominion, which they are saying began in Venezuela with Cuban cash, and with the help of Smartmatic software program, a backdoor is able to flipping votes,” Pirro stated.
The printed: “Lou Dobbs Tonight” on November 24, 2020.
What they alleged: Election fraud, algorithm flips, Venezuela ties.
Key false quote: “We’re simply persevering with to be inundated by proof of all of the frauds right here and each method and technique of fraud you can probably consider,” Powell stated.
“I believe many People have given no thought to electoral fraud that might be perpetrated by digital voting; that’s, these machines, these digital voting firms, together with Dominion, prominently Dominion, not less than within the suspicions of loads of People,” Dobbs stated.
The printed: “Lou Dobbs Tonight” on November 30, 2020.
What they alleged: Election fraud, algorithm flips, kickbacks.
Key false quote: “Completely different states shaved totally different quantities of votes, or the system was set as much as shave and flip totally different votes in numerous states,” Powell stated. “Some individuals had been focused as particular person candidates. It’s actually probably the most large and historic egregious fraud the world has ever seen.”
The printed: “Hannity” on November 30, 2020.
What they alleged: Election fraud and algorithm flips.
Key false quote: “The machine ran an algorithm that shaved votes from Trump and awarded them to Biden,” Powell stated. “They used the machines to trash giant batches of votes that ought to have been awarded to President Trump. They usually used a machine to inject and add large portions of votes for Mr. Biden.”
The printed: “Lou Dobbs Tonight” on December 4, 2020.
What they alleged: Election fraud and algorithm flips.
Key false quote: “Dominion Voting Techniques, you might have described it with algorithms which had been designed to be inaccurate relatively than to be a safe system,” Dobbs stated.
“Give us your sense of who’s driving all of this,” Dobbs requested Phil Waldron, a Trump supporter who labored with Powell and others to unfold conspiracy theories in regards to the 2020 election.
The printed: Dobbs tweet with embedded doc on December 10, 2020.
What they alleged: Election fraud and algorithm flips.
Key false quote: “The 2020 Election is a cyber Pearl Harbor,” Dobbs wrote, embedding a doc.
“Now we have technical shows that show there’s an embedded controller in each Dominion machine, that permits an election supervisor to maneuver votes from one candidate to a different,” the doc said.
The printed: “Lou Dobbs Tonight” on December 10, 2020.
What they alleged: Election fraud, algorithm flips, Venezuela ties.
Key false quote: “Let me make you a suggestion, very straightforwardly,” Dobbs stated. “We’ll gladly put ahead your proof that helps your declare that this was a Cyber Pearl Harbor. Now we have large proof already … of fraud on this election, however I might be glad to place ahead on this broadcast no matter proof you might have, and we’ll be glad to do it instantly.”
The printed: Dobbs tweet with embedded video of Powell interview on December 10, 2020.
What they alleged: Election fraud.
Key false quote: “Cyber Pearl Harbor: @SidneyPowell1 reveals groundbreaking new proof indicating our Presidential election got here beneath large cyber-attack orchestrated with the assistance of Dominion, Smartmatic, and international adversaries. #MAGA #AmericaFirst #Dobbs,” Dobbs wrote.
The printed: “Fox & Mates” with hosts Will Cain, Pete Hegseth and Rachel Campos-Duffy on December 12, 2020.
What they alleged: Election fraud.
Key false quote: “Now we have a machine, the Dominion machine, that’s as stuffed with holes as Swiss cheese and was developed to steal elections, and getting used within the states which can be concerned,” Giuliani stated.
The printed: “Tucker Carlson Tonight” on January 26, 2021.
What they alleged: Election fraud.
Key false quote: “Each outlet within the nation, they go, ‘Mike Lindell, there’s no proof, and he’s making fraudulent statements.’ No. I’ve the proof. I dare individuals to place it on. I dare Dominion to sue me as a result of then it would get out quicker. So, that is – you recognize, they don’t – they don’t wish to discuss it,” Lindell stated.
“No, they don’t,” Carlson stated.