About Lyndon Pryor

This author has not yet filled in any details.
So far Lyndon Pryor has created 16940 blog entries.

Murdoch says some Fox hosts ‘endorsed’ false election claims – WRAL

By |2023-03-01T00:25:59-05:00February 27th, 2023|Election 2020|

DOVER, DEL. — DOVER, Del. (AP) — Fox Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch acknowledged that some Fox News commentators endorsed the false allegations by former President Donald Trump and his allies that the 2020 presidential election was stolen and that he didn't step in to stop them from promoting the claims, according to excerpts of a deposition unsealed Monday.The claims and the company's handling of them are at the heart of a defamation lawsuit against the cable news giant by Dominion Voting Systems.The recently unsealed documents include excerpts from a deposition in which Murdoch was asked about whether he was aware that some of the network’s commentators — Lou Dobbs, Maria Bartiromo, Jeanine Pirro and Sean Hannity — at times endorsed the false election claims. Murdoch replied, “Yes. They endorsed."The Murdoch deposition is the latest filing in the defamation case to reveal concerns at the top-rated network over how it was handling Trump’s claims as its ratings plummeted after the network called Arizona for Joe Biden, angering Trump and his supporters.An earlier filing showed a gulf between the stolen election narrative the network was airing in primetime and doubts about the claims raised by its stars behind the scenes. In one text, from Nov. 16, 2020, Fox News host Tucker Carlson said "Sidney Powell is lying” about having evidence for election fraud, referring to one of Trump's lawyers.The Dominion case is the latest example showing that those who were spreading false information about the 2020 election knew there was no evidence to support it. The now-disbanded House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol disclosed that many of Trump’s top advisers repeatedly warned him that the allegations he was making about fraud were false — and yet the president continued making the claims.Murdoch urged in September 2020, weeks before the election, that Dobbs be fired because he was “an extremist,” according to Dominion's court filing. Murdoch also said he thought it was “really bad” for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani to be advising Trump because Giuliani’s “judgment was bad” and he was “an extreme partisan,” according to a deposition excerpt.Murdoch was asked whether he could have requested that Powell and Giuliani not be put on the air: “I could have. But I didn't,” he replied.Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems, which sells electronic voting hardware and software, is suing both Fox News Network and parent company Fox Corp. for defamation. Dominion contends that some Fox News employees deliberately amplified false claims by supporters of Trump that Dominion machines had changed votes in the 2020 election, and that Fox provided a platform for guests to make false and defamatory statements about the company.Dominion attorneys contend that executives in the “chain of command” at both Fox News and Fox Corp. knew the network was broadcasting “known lies, had the power to stop it, but chose to let it continue. That was wrong, and for that, FC and FNN are both liable.”Attorneys for Fox Corp. note in their filing that Murdoch also testified that he never discussed Dominion or voter fraud with any of the accused Fox News hosts. They say Dominion has produced “zero evidentiary support” for the claim that high-level executives at Fox Corp. had any role in creating or publishing the statements at issue.Dominion’s contention that the company should be held liable because Murdoch might have had the power to step in and prevent the challenged statements from being aired, they said, “has no basis in defamation law, would obliterate the distinction between corporate parents and subsidiaries, and finds no support in the evidence.”The “handful of selective quotes” cited by Dominion have nothing to do with the statements that Dominion has challenged as defamatory, according to Fox Corp. attorneys. “Dominion repeatedly asked Fox News executives, hosts, and staff whether Fox Corporation employees played a role in the publication of the statements it challenges,” they wrote. “The answer — every single time, for every single witness — was no.”Meanwhile, Fox News attorneys note that when voting-technology companies denied the allegations being made by Trump and his surrogates, Fox News aired those denials, while some Fox News hosts offered protected opinion commentary about Trump’s allegations.

Court upholds termination of former Louisville detective Myles Cosgrove – Spectrum News

By |2023-02-27T23:27:21-05:00February 27th, 2023|Breonna Taylor, Election 2020|

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Myles Cosgrove, the former Louisville detective who was fired in 2021 for violating LMPD's policy on the use of deadly force, will not get his job back, a circuit court judge ruled Monday. What You Need To Know A Jefferson County judge ruled Monday that Myles Cosgrove won't get his job back at LMPD Judge Melissa Logan Bellows upheld the LMPD Merit Board's decision to terminate Cosgrove after he sued in April 2022 Cosgrove fired the fatal shot during the botched no-knock raid on Breonna Taylor's apartment Cosgrove was one of three cops involved in the deadly no-knock drug raid on Breonna Taylor's apartment. Cosgrove fired the shot that killed the 26-year-old Black woman after returning fire from her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker. Judge Melissa Logan Bellows upheld the decision of LMPD and its Police Merit Board to terminate Cosgrove in early 2021 in a ruling nearly one year after Cosgrove appealed his firing. The merit board upheld Cosgrove's firing in December 2021 by a 5-2 vote, and his attempts to appeal that were denied. In the 11-page lawsuit, Cosgrove's attorneys decried the board's decision as "arbitrary" and "unlawful" several times, accusing the board of violating his due process. Taylor's death after the botched no-knock raid partly sparked the widespread racial justice protests seen in more than 2,000 U.S. cities over the summer of 2020, alongside the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Former LMPD officer Kelly Goodlett admitted in federal court that she and another officer falsified information in the warrant used to justify the raid. That confirmed to many, including U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, that Taylor never should have been visited by armed officers on March 13, 2020. Related Stories

Rupert Murdoch Trashed Rudy Giuliani but Hosts Kept Having Him on – Business Insider

By |2023-03-01T00:26:02-05:00February 27th, 2023|Election 2020|

Rudy Giuliani. Jacquelyn Martin/AP Redeem now Dominion's lawsuit revealed comments Fox News hosts and execs made about Rudy Giuliani in 2020. Ingraham called Giuliani "such an idiot" and Hannity said he was "acting like an insane person." Dominion is suing Fox for defamation related to unfounded election fraud claims about the company. Top editors give you the stories you want — delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Loading Something is loading. Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. .inline-newsletter-signup.loading { width: 100%; max-width: 640px; margin: 0 auto; visibility: hidden; } In the wake of the 2020 election, Rudy Giuliani made several appearances on Fox News to push false claims about widespread election fraud on behalf of President Donald Trump — even as the man in charge of the network and some of its most popular hosts privately denounced the president's lawyer as "insane" and "such an idiot."The comments about Giuliani were outlined in newly released court documents from a defamation lawsuit filed in 2021 by Dominion Voting Systems against Fox. The documents, including some released Monday as well as earlier this month, show higher-ups at Fox News repeatedly doubting Giuliani's credibility.At the time, the former New York mayor was pushing unfounded claims that Dominion's voting machines were switching votes from Trump to Joe Biden, among other outrageous assertions, often alongside another now-former Trump lawyer, Sidney Powell.Rupert MurdochRupert Murdoch, the founder and chairman of Fox News, made several claims disparaging Giuliani and doubting the veracity of his claims. According to court documents released Monday, on November 7, 2020, Murdoch told Col Allan, former editor-in-chief of The New York Post, which is owned by Murdoch: "Just saw a bit of Rudy ranting. A terrible influence on Donald." Two days later Murdoch told a friend, General Jack Keane, a Fox News security analyst, that he thought some of the claims about the election could be true but that Trump "needs better lawyers than Rudy, who is past his prime," the documents said.Around November 16, Murdoch said in an email to Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott that he thought Trump would "concede eventually," adding "we should concentrate on Georgia, helping any way we can" in an apparent reference to the Senate runoff election.Murdoch added "We don't want to antagonize Trump further" and that Giuliani should be "taken with a large grain of salt," according to the documents.After Giuliani and Powell held a press conference on November 19, Murdoch told Scott: "Terrible stuff damaging everybody, I fear. Probably hurting us too." Scott agreed, according to the court documents, and added "yes Sean and even Pirro agrees," in a possible reference to Fox hosts Sean Hannity and Jeanine Pirro. He also sent an email to Robert Thomson, CEO of News Corp — which is also run by Murdoch — with a subject line that read: "Watching Giuliani!" according to the documents. The email said: "Really crazy stuff. And damaging." News Corp Chairman Rupert Murdoch. Drew Angerer/Getty Images Sean HannityOn November 11, 2020, Fox News host Sean Hannity said, "Rudy is acting like an insane person," according to the court documents. On December 22,  also said "F'ing lunatics" in reference to Giuliani, the documents said.Laura IngrahamOn January 12, 2021, Fox News Host Laura Ingraham said, "Rudy is such an idiot," the documents said.In a statement provided to Insider, a Fox News spokesperson said: "Dominion's lawsuit has always been more about what will generate headlines than what can withstand legal and factual scrutiny, as illustrated by them now being forced to slash their fanciful damages demand by more than half a billion dollars after their own expert debunked its implausible claims. Their summary judgment motion took an extreme, unsupported view of defamation law that would prevent journalists from basic reporting and their efforts to publicly smear FOX for covering and commenting on allegations by a sitting President of the United States should be recognized for what it is: a blatant violation of the First Amendment." Giuliani did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. .content-lock-lock .hidden { display: none; } Sign up for notifications from Insider! Stay up to date with what you want to know. Subscribe to push notifications Close icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. It indicates a way to close an interaction, or dismiss a notification.

Murdoch acknowledged that some Fox hosts ‘endorsed’ false election claims, court documents say

By |2023-03-01T00:26:04-05:00February 27th, 2023|Election 2020|

Video above: Election leaders declare no widespread fraud in 2022 racesFox Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch acknowledged that some Fox News commentators endorsed the false allegations by former President Donald Trump and his allies that the 2020 presidential election was stolen and that he didn't step in to stop them from promoting the claims, according to excerpts of a deposition unsealed Monday.The claims and the company's handling of them are at the heart of a defamation lawsuit against the cable news giant by Dominion Voting Systems. The recently unsealed documents include excerpts from a deposition in which Murdoch was asked about whether he was aware that some of the network's commentators — Lou Dobbs, Maria Bartiromo, Jeanine Pirro and Sean Hannity — at times endorsed the false election claims. Murdoch replied, "Yes. They endorsed."The Murdoch deposition is the latest filing in the defamation case to reveal concerns at the top-rated network over how it was handling Trump's claims as its ratings plummeted after the network called Arizona for Joe Biden, angering Trump and his supporters.An earlier filing showed a gulf between the stolen election narrative the network was airing in primetime and doubts about the claims raised by its stars behind the scenes. In one text, from Nov. 16, 2020, Fox News host Tucker Carlson said "Sidney Powell is lying" about having evidence for election fraud, referring to one of Trump's lawyers.The Dominion case is the latest example showing that those who were spreading false information about the 2020 election knew there was no evidence to support it. The now-disbanded House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol disclosed that many of Trump's top advisers repeatedly warned him that the allegations he was making about fraud were false — and yet the president continued making the claims.Murdoch urged in September 2020, weeks before the election, that Dobbs be fired because he was "an extremist," according to Dominion's court filing. Murdoch also said he thought it was "really bad" for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani to be advising Trump because Giuliani's "judgment was bad" and he was "an extreme partisan," according to a deposition excerpt.Murdoch was asked whether he could have requested that Powell and Giuliani not be put on the air: " I could have. But I didn't," he replied.Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems, which sells electronic voting hardware and software, is suing both Fox News Network and parent company Fox Corp. for defamation. Dominion contends that some Fox News employees deliberately amplified false claims by supporters of Trump that Dominion machines had changed votes in the 2020 election, and that Fox provided a platform for guests to make false and defamatory statements about the company.Dominion attorneys contend that executives in the "chain of command" at both Fox News and Fox Corp. knew the network was broadcasting "known lies, had the power to stop it, but chose to let it continue. That was wrong, and for that, FC and FNN are both liable."Attorneys for Fox Corp. note in their filing that Murdoch also testified that he never discussed Dominion or voter fraud with any of the accused Fox News hosts. They say Dominion has produced "zero evidentiary support" for the claim that high-level executives at Fox Corp. had any role in creating or publishing the statements at issue.They say Dominion's contention that the company should be held liable because Murdoch might have had the power to step in and prevent the challenged statements from being aired "has no basis in defamation law, would obliterate the distinction between corporate parents and subsidiaries, and finds no support in the evidence."The "handful of selective quotes" cited by Dominion have nothing to do with the statements that Dominion has challenged as defamatory, Fox's attorney said: "Dominion repeatedly asked Fox News executives, hosts, and staff whether Fox Corporation employees played a role in the publication of the statements it challenges," they wrote. "The answer — every single time, for every single witness — was no."Meanwhile, Fox News attorneys note that when voting-technology companies denied the allegations being made by Trump and his surrogates, Fox News aired those denials, while some Fox News hosts offered protected opinion commentary about Trump's allegations. DOVER, Del. — Video above: Election leaders declare no widespread fraud in 2022 racesFox Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch acknowledged that some Fox News commentators endorsed the false allegations by former President Donald Trump and his allies that the 2020 presidential election was stolen and that he didn't step in to stop them from promoting the claims, according to excerpts of a deposition unsealed Monday.

Murdoch says some Fox hosts ‘endorsed’ false election claims

By |2023-03-01T00:26:06-05:00February 27th, 2023|Election 2020|

By RANDALL CHASE DOVER, Del. (AP) — Fox Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch acknowledged that some Fox News commentators endorsed the false allegations by former President Donald Trump and his allies that the 2020 presidential election was stolen and that he didn't step in to stop them from promoting the claims, according to excerpts of a deposition unsealed Monday. The claims and the company's handling of them are at the heart of a defamation lawsuit against the cable news giant by Dominion Voting Systems. The recently unsealed documents include excerpts from a deposition in which Murdoch was asked about whether he was aware that some of the network’s commentators — Lou Dobbs, Maria Bartiromo, Jeanine Pirro and Sean Hannity — at times endorsed the false election claims. Murdoch replied, “Yes. They endorsed." The Murdoch deposition is the latest filing in the defamation case to reveal concerns at the top-rated network over how it was handling Trump’s claims as its ratings plummeted after the network called Arizona for Joe Biden, angering Trump and his supporters. An earlier filing showed a gulf between the stolen election narrative the network was airing in primetime and doubts about the claims raised by its stars behind the scenes. In one text, from Nov. 16, 2020, Fox News host Tucker Carlson said "Sidney Powell is lying” about having evidence for election fraud, referring to one of Trump's lawyers. The Dominion case is the latest example showing that those who were spreading false information about the 2020 election knew there was no evidence to support it. The now-disbanded House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol disclosed that many of Trump’s top advisers repeatedly warned him that the allegations he was making about fraud were false — and yet the president continued making the claims. Murdoch urged in September 2020, weeks before the election, that Dobbs be fired because he was “an extremist,” according to Dominion's court filing. Murdoch also said he thought it was “really bad” for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani to be advising Trump because Giuliani’s “judgment was bad” and he was “an extreme partisan,” according to a deposition excerpt. Murdoch was asked whether he could have requested that Powell and Giuliani not be put on the air: “ I could have. But I didn't,” he replied. Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems, which sells electronic voting hardware and software, is suing both Fox News Network and parent company Fox Corp. for defamation. Dominion contends that some Fox News employees deliberately amplified false claims by supporters of Trump that Dominion machines had changed votes in the 2020 election, and that Fox provided a platform for guests to make false and defamatory statements about the company. Dominion attorneys contend that executives in the “chain of command” at both Fox News and Fox Corp. knew the network was broadcasting “known lies, had the power to stop it, but chose to let it continue. That was wrong, and for that, FC and FNN are both liable.” Attorneys for Fox Corp. note in their filing that Murdoch also testified that he never discussed Dominion or voter fraud with any of the accused Fox News hosts. They say Dominion has produced “zero evidentiary support” for the claim that high-level executives at Fox Corp. had any role in creating or publishing the statements at issue. Dominion’s contention that the company should be held liable because Murdoch might have had the power to step in and prevent the challenged statements from being aired, they said, “has no basis in defamation law, would obliterate the distinction between corporate parents and subsidiaries, and finds no support in the evidence.” The “handful of selective quotes” cited by Dominion have nothing to do with the statements that Dominion has challenged as defamatory, according to Fox Corp. attorneys. “Dominion repeatedly asked Fox News executives, hosts, and staff whether Fox Corporation employees played a role in the publication of the statements it challenges,” they wrote. “The answer — every single time, for every single witness — was no.” Meanwhile, Fox News attorneys note that when voting-technology companies denied the allegations being made by Trump and his surrogates, Fox News aired those denials, while some Fox News hosts offered protected opinion commentary about Trump’s allegations.

Myles Cosgrove: Court upholds firing of LMPD officer whose shot killed Breonna Taylor

By |2023-02-27T23:27:23-05:00February 27th, 2023|Breonna Taylor|

A court has ruled that the ex-Louisville Metro officer who shot and killed Breonna Taylor in the botched 2020 raid was justly fired, meaning he won't be getting his job back.Myles Cosgrove was one of three officers who fired their guns that night in March as LMPD was serving a no-knock warrant.He was fired in 2021 by then-interim Chief Yvette Gentry for violating department policies that night.Investigators said he fired 16 rounds that night. Previous: Merit Board upholds firing of Myles CosgroveLast April, he filed a lawsuit against LMPD, its merit board and the city, saying his firing was unconstitutional. He sued to be reinstated and get back pay and benefits.A Jefferson County Circuit Court recently found the merit board had "substantial evidence upon which to base their decision" and upheld his firing.Read the entire ruling here. As for the other officers involved, Jonathan Mattingly, who was shot that night, ended up retiring from the force. Brett Hankison, who faced three wanton endangerment charges, was acquitted.He then was charged federally for use of excessive force. The trial is expected to happen in October. LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A court has ruled that the ex-Louisville Metro officer who shot and killed Breonna Taylor in the botched 2020 raid was justly fired, meaning he won't be getting his job back.Myles Cosgrove was one of three officers who fired their guns that night in March as LMPD was serving a no-knock warrant.

Judge upholds termination of former LMPD detective who fired fatal shot in Breonna Taylor raid

By |2023-02-27T23:27:25-05:00February 27th, 2023|Breonna Taylor, Election 2020|

Myles Cosgrove was fired in January 2021 for use of excessive force after he fired 16 shots into Breonna Taylor's apartment in March 2020. LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A former Louisville Metro Police Department detective has been fighting to get his job back after he was involved in the raid which led to Breonna Taylor's death. A judge recently ruled against Myles Cosgrove's appeal. Cosgrove was fired in January 2021 for use of excessive force after he fired 16 shots into Breonna Taylor's apartment, including the shot that killed Taylor, during a botched raid in March 2020. Police said Cosgrove failed to identify a target during the incident, which led to one of Cosgrove’s rounds fatally wounding Taylor. LMPD’s Merit Board upheld the decision to terminate Cosgrove with a 5-2 vote in December 2021. On Feb. 24, Judge Melissa Logan Bellows in Jefferson Circuit Court issued an order stating the decision by LMPD’s Merit Board was justified, denying Cosgrove’s appeal. [embedded content] The judge said the principles of "target identification" and "target isolation" are not just an expectation for police, but even normal citizens should exercise the "highest degree of care" in determining whether or not they are shooting at a legitimate target. In his termination letter, former Interim LMPD Chief Yvette Gentry said Cosgrove did not properly identify a target when he fired over a dozen times into Taylor's Louisville apartment.  In violation of standard operating procedure, Cosgrove also failed to activate his body camera prior to executing the search warrant. Cosgrove said that "he should be held to a less stringent standard than an ordinary Kentucky resident, despite having considerably more legal privileges," according to court documents. In November, the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council voted not to revoke Cosgrove’s state peace officer certification, which means he could get a job in another agency in the Commonwealth. Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users. Have a news tip? Email [email protected], visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.

Court upholds firing of Louisville police officer who fatally shot Breonna Taylor

By |2023-02-27T23:27:27-05:00February 27th, 2023|Breonna Taylor, Election 2020|

A Jefferson County Circuit Court judge on Monday upheld the firing of Louisville Metro Police Officer Myles Cosgrove, who federalinvestigators determined fired the bullets that killed Breonna Taylor in March of 2020.Cosgrove was fired from the department in January 2021 for failing to properly identify a threat before firing 16 rounds into Taylor’s apartment. He unsuccessfully appealed his termination to the Police Merit Board later that year, arguing that the “shadowy figure” and “flashes of light” Cosgrove said he was firing at were enough to justify the use of deadly force. After a four-day hearing, the board voted 5-2 to keep Cosgrove from returning to LMPD. Attorneys representing Cosgrove then appealed that decision last April.On Monday, Circuit Court Judge Melissa Logan Bellows ruled against Cosgrove, upholding the Merit Board’s decision.“The principles of target identification and isolation are not simply part of police training, but part of the law of self-defense itself,” Bellows wrote. “Even normal citizens must exercise the ‘highest degree of care’ in ascertaining whether they are shooting at a legitimate target.”Bellows wrote that Cosgrove’s attorneys appeared to be arguing that he shouldbe "held to a less stringent standard than an ordinary Kentucky resident, despite having considerably more legal privileges."During his appeal to the Merit Board, Cosgrove also argued that his firing waspolitically motivated. Former Deputy Police Chief LaVita Chavous testified that she overheard Mayor Greg Fischer say he wished he could fire the officers involved in Taylor’s killing during a meeting in 2020.But Bellows said Monday that there was no evidence suggesting Fischer unduly pressured LMPD leaders or the Merit Board to fire Cosgrove.“Put simply, while Cosgrove has provided certain evidence that his firing could have been politically motivated, he has not provided sufficient evidence to prove that it was, especially in an appellate setting,” shesaid.Cosgrove is one of the only officers involved in the 2020 raid on Taylor’s apartment not to face additional criminal charges for his actions, despite an FBI ballistics report claiming he fired the fatal shots.Former officers Joshua Jaynes and Kyle Meany are currently facing four federal charges,including obstruction and civil rights violations. Both were involved in securing the search warrant for Taylor’s apartment, which federal prosecutors say included statements the officers knew were false.Former Detective Brett Hankison, who was present at the raid, has also been charged with civil rights violations for firing through a covered window as police attempted to enter Taylor’s apartment in the middle of the night. All three officers have pleaded not guilty and their trials are expected to take place later this year.Last November, the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council voted not to revoke Cosgrove’s police officer certification, meaning he could get a job elsewhere in the state.

Court upholds termination decision for former LMPD detective Myles Cosgrove – WAVE 3

By |2023-02-27T23:27:29-05:00February 27th, 2023|Breonna Taylor, Election 2020|

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - A former Louisville Metro Police detective who has been fighting to get his job back following the death of Breonna Taylor during an attempted raid on her home has lost another appeal.Myles Cosgrove was fired in Jan. 2021 for use of excessive force after firing 16 shots into Taylor’s apartment in March 2020. Police said Cosgrove failed to identify a target during the incident, which led to one of Cosgrove’s rounds hitting and killing Taylor during the raid.LMPD’s Merit Board upheld the decision to fire Cosgrove in Dec. 2021.On Friday, Judge Melissa Logan Bellows in Jefferson Circuit Court issued the order stating the decision by LMPD’s Merit Board was justified and that Cosgrove’s appeal was denied.“Given the evidence presented in the record, the Court must find that the Police Merit Board had substantial evidence upon which to base their decision, were thus not arbitrary in their decision, and as such must be affirmed,” the court document reads.The judge said the principles of target identification and isolation are not just part of police training but part of self-defense law, and that even normal citizens should be upheld by those standards.According to court documents, Cosgrove argued “that he should be held to a less stringent standard than an ordinary Kentucky resident, despite having considerably more legal privileges.”In November, the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council voted not to revoke Cosgrove’s state peace officer certification, which is required for him to be a police officer within the commonwealth.Copyright 2023 WAVE. All rights reserved.

Rupert Murdoch acknowledged that Fox News hosts endorsed stolen election claims

By |2023-03-01T00:26:06-05:00February 27th, 2023|Election 2020|

Rupert Murdoch, the chairman of Fox Corporation, acknowledged in a deposition taken by Dominion Voting Systems that some Fox News hosts endorsed false claims the 2020 election was stolen. Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto/Getty Images (CNN) — Rupert Murdoch, the chairman of Fox Corporation, acknowledged in a deposition taken by Dominion Voting Systems that some Fox News hosts endorsed false claims the 2020 election was stolen.Murdoch's remarks in a deposition were made public in a legal filing as part of Dominion Voting Systems' $1.6 billion lawsuit against Fox News. "Some of our commentators were endorsing it," Murdoch said, singling out Fox hosts Sean Hannity, Lou Dobbs, Maria Bartiromo and Jeanine Pirro as Fox hosts who promoted the false stolen election claims on air, according to a transcript of his deposition. Murdoch acknowledged the hosts frequently invited guests who made similar claims.But Murdoch pushed back against Dominion's lawyers who claimed that Fox was endorsing "this false notion of a stolen election?""Not Fox. But maybe Lou Dobbs, maybe Maria, as commentators," Murdoch said in his deposition.In another filing made public earlier this month, a trove of messages and emails from the most prominent stars and highest-ranking executives at Fox News showed they had privately ridiculed claims of election fraud in the 2020 election, despite the right-wing channel promoting lies about the presidential contest on its air.The messages showed that Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, and Laura Ingraham brutally mocked lies being pushed by former President Donald Trump's camp asserting that the election was rigged.The court filings have offered the most vivid picture to date of the chaos that transpired behind the scenes at Fox News after Trump lost the election and viewers rebelled against the right-wing channel for accurately calling the contest in Biden's favor.Fox News has not only vigorously denied Dominion's claims, it has insisted it is "proud" of its 2020 election coverage.The network argued that the court filing contained cherry-picked quotes lacking context."There will be a lot of noise and confusion generated by Dominion and their opportunistic private equity owners, but the core of this case remains about freedom of the press and freedom of speech, which are fundamental rights afforded by the Constitution and protected by New York Times v. Sullivan," Fox News said in a statement.Below is the transcript of the relevant part of Murdoch's deposition:Q. You are aware now that Fox did more than simply host these guests and give them a platform; correct?A. I think you've shown me some material in support of that.Q. In fact, you are now aware that Fox endorsed at times this false notion of a stolen election? A. Not Fox, No. Not Fox. But maybe Lou Dobbs, maybe Maria, as commentators.Q. We went through Fox hosts Maria Bartiromo, yes?A. Yes. C'monQ. Fox host Jeanine Pirro?A. I think so.Q. Fox Business host Lou Dobbs?A. Oh, a lot.Q. Fox host Sean Hannity?A. A bit.Q. All were in that document; correct?A. Yes, they were.Q. About Fox endorsing the narrative of a stolen election; correct?A. No. Some of our commentators were endorsing it.Q. About their endorsement of a stolen election?A. Yes. They endorsed.

Go to Top