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.

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.

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.

Fox News host Howard Kurtz, who anchors a weekly show on the media industry, said he has been told not to cover the $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit filed against Fox by Dominion Voting Systems.Kurtz revealed the prohibition during Sunday’s episode of “MediaBuzz” after he received criticism for not covering revelations about the network that came out of a recent filing by Dominion.“Some of you have been asking why I’m not covering the Dominion voting machines lawsuit against Fox involving the unproven claims of election fraud in 2020, and it’s absolutely a fair question,” he said midway through Sunday morning’s program. “I believe I should be covering it. It’s a major media story, given my role here at Fox. But the company has decided that as part of the organization being sued, I can’t talk about it or write about it, at least for now.”Kurtz, who formerly covered media for The Washington Post and hosted CNN’s “Reliable Sources” program, voiced opposition to Fox’s decision, a rare showing of internal protest on the network’s airwaves.“I strongly disagree with that decision, but as an employee, I have to abide by it,” the 69-year-old said. “And if that changes, I’ll let you know.”On Feb. 16, a Dominion filing made public by a Delaware court provided evidence that many of Fox News’s prominent hosts and executives doubted the veracity of fraud claims made on Fox programs by Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, two lawyers affiliated with President Donald Trump, regarding Dominion Voting Systems and the 2020 election.The document — which contained private text messages and emails from Fox hosts Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham, as well as top executives Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch — made waves in the media industry but has received sparse coverage on Fox.Fox News hosts, execs privately doubted 2020 conspiracy claims shared on airSoon after Dominion’s lawsuit, Fox filed a counterclaim, alleging that Dominion can’t prove its damages and claiming that it had filed the lawsuit to create headlines and discourage free speech.Kurtz and a Fox News spokesperson didn’t respond to requests for comment Sunday night. In previous remarks to The Post, Fox dismissed the relevance of Dominion’s filing, saying it contained “cherry-picked quotes stripped of key context.”“There will be a lot of noise and confusion generated by Dominion and their opportunistic private equity owners,” a spokesperson said this month, “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.”‘Incredibly damning’: Fox News documents stun some legal expertsKurtz has been previously criticized by some Fox viewers for reporting facts about the 2020 election. But he has said that journalists have an obligation to push back against unsubstantiated claims, noting in a February 2021 article that “when Trump is claiming the election is rigged, anchors have a responsibility at the very least to ask skeptical questions.” Later that year, Kurtz wrote on Twitter that Trump supporters criticized him after he covered election review results that confirmed Trump lost to Joe Biden in an Arizona county.Dominion is arguing that Fox and some of its hosts publicly backed baseless claims about the voting company rigging the 2020 election in a way that ensured Trump’s defeat. The firm alleges that Fox purposely aired misinformation to boost ratings.

WaPo: Arizona’s Democratic governor, Katie Hobbs, is seeking a review of what her office alleges was “likely unethical conduct” by the state’s former attorney general, Mark Brnovich. A letter sent Friday from the governor’s office to the State Bar of Arizona follows the disclosure on Wednesday of records showing that Brnovich, a Republican, withheld findings by his own investigators refuting claims of fraud in the 2020 election and mischaracterized his office’s probe of voting in the state’s largest county. The letter, signed by Hobbs’s general counsel, Bo Dul, calls the conduct “harmful to our democracy, our State, and the legal profession itself.” Brnovich dismissed the allegations. “Katie Hobbs is wrong,” he said in a statement. “This is another misguided attempt by her to defame and cancel a political opponent instead of addressing the serious issues facing our state.” The former attorney general did not respond to earlier questions from The Washington Post about the records but released a statement to local media saying he was “proud” of his office’s work on “election integrity.” “While subjected to severe criticism from all sides of the political spectrum during the course of our investigations, we did our due diligence to run all complaints to ground,” Brnovich said in that statement. “Where we were able to debunk rumors and conspiracies, we did so. Nevertheless, we also identified areas we believe the legislature and county officials should address to ensure confidence in future elections.” Share this: