Fox News Vs. Venezuelan Businessman: Defamation Case ‘Amicably Settled’

Fox News is facing several big election-related lawsuits. While Dominion is the biggest, the network has now settled with one filed by a Venezuelan businessman.

CNN reported that details of the settlement were not released to the public, but a Fox News lawyer stated that the "matter has been resolved amicably by both sides."

The lawsuit was filed after Lou Dobbs accused businessman Majed Khalil, a Venezuelan national, of being one of the key people who helped rig the 2020 elections against Donald Trump.

Dobbs repeated his false claims against Khalil not only in his Fox Business program, "Lou Dobbs Tonight," but also on social media, accusing the plaintiff of various things in addition to being a central figure in rigging voting machines.

Lou Dobbs Falsely Claimed Venezuelan Businessman Was Involved With a Terrorist Organization

In a tweet, Dobbs stated that the 2020 elections were a "cyber Pearl Harbor," before naming Khalil as one of the four people he wanted his audience to "get familiar with" for participating in supposed election fraud, a claim which was soon debunked.

Dobbs also claimed that Khalil was involved with Lebanon's Hezbollah and accused the Venezuelan national of being the "effective COO" of an election rigging scheme using Smartmatic and Dominion voting machines.

According to NBC News, Dobbs spread misinformation by claiming that the vote-rigging against Trump was part of a plot by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who was already dead by the time of the 2020 elections.

Fox News previously tried to get the Venezuelan's case against them thrown out. However, much like the Dominion case, the judge ruled that the plaintiff had "sufficiently claimed that his reputation was harmed by false accusations."

Fox News Facing 'Absolute Disaster' in Dominion Lawsuit, Says Ex-Prosecutor

The settlement with the Venezuelan businessman came just days before the Dominion lawsuit against Fox News begins its trial. However, a former prosecutor says the conservative network is facing an "absolute disaster" with this case.

Renato Mariotti, a former federal prosecutor, spoke in an interview regarding the Dominion lawsuit against Fox News, and he was asked about Fox News hosts and personalities testifying during the trial. Specifically, he was asked whether this would set Fox News up for failure if they were asked about the private text messages that showed they hated Donald Trump in reality and knew that he was lying about the elections being stolen.

"I have to say this is just an absolute disaster for Fox," Mariotti answered and pointed out that those working at Fox News essentially admitted in those private text messages that they were airing lies.

The former prosecutor also stated that Dominion's lawyers made a "masterful" move when they asked Fox Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch to testify. The judge in this case has made it clear that he would not stop any attempt at compelling the Fox executive to talk about Fox News' election coverage in court.

"I mean, if you're Rupert Murdoch, do you want to be on the witness stand answering questions trying to explain the inexplicable and defend the indefensible? This, of course, gives an incentive for Fox to cave, to settle, to pony up to Dominion, Mariotti said, adding that what Dominion din was "a very smart move."

According to Newsweek, Mariotti pointed out that "actual malice" is achievable in this case, with Dominion putting together a very good case against the conservative network.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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