Judge says he can compel Rupert Murdoch to testify in Fox News defamation trial
Fox Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch can be forced to testify in the Fox News defamation trial scheduled to start on April 17, a judge said Wednesday.
Dominion Voting Systems filed a $1.6 billion defamation suit against Fox News in the wake of the 2020 presidential election, after network hosts and guests pushed false conspiracy theories linking Dominion to voter fraud. Fox News, which contends it was just reporting on the conspiracies rather than presenting them as factual, submitted a letter on Tuesday with the names of potential witnesses, including hosts Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, and Maria Bartiromo and Fox News Chief Executive Suzanne Scott; Rupert Murdoch and his son, Fox Corp. CEO Lachlan Murdoch, were not on the list.
On Wednesday, Dominion submitted a letter to Judge Eric Davis of Delaware Superior Court, who is overseeing the trial, writing that Fox News previously said the Murdochs could be compelled to give in-person testimony. In response, Davis said if Dominion issues a subpoena for Rupert Murdoch or any other corporate officer, he "would not quash it" and "would compel them to come." Dominion and Fox News have both "made these witnesses very relevant," he added.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Fox News had argued that Rupert Murdoch and other network executives didn't need to testify because they already gave filmed depositions, and in a statement Wednesday, a Fox Corp. spokesperson said Dominion "demanding witnesses who had nothing to do with the challenged broadcasts is just the latest example of their political crusade in search of a financial windfall."
During the discovery process, emails and messages from Fox News hosts and executives were made public, showing that privately, many didn't believe in the conspiracies about voter fraud being peddled, and mocked the people pushing them; host Tucker Carlson, for example, called Sidney Powell, a lawyer for former President Donald Trump, a "complete nut."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Why Britain is struggling to stop the ransomware cyberattacksThe Explainer New business models have greatly lowered barriers to entry for criminal hackers
-
Greene’s rebellion: a Maga hardliner turns against TrumpIn the Spotlight The Georgia congresswoman’s independent streak has ‘not gone unnoticed’ by the president
-
Crossword: October 26, 2025The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
Will latest Russian sanctions finally break Putin’s resolve?Today's Big Question New restrictions have been described as a ‘punch to the gut of Moscow’s war economy’
-
Warner Bros. explores sale amid Paramount bidsSpeed Read The media giant, home to HBO and DC Studios, has received interest from multiple buying parties
-
China’s rare earth controlsThe Explainer Beijing has shocked Washington with export restrictions on minerals used in most electronics
-
Gold tops $4K per ounce, signaling financial uneaseSpeed Read Investors are worried about President Donald Trump’s trade war
-
The struggles of Aston Martin: burning cash not rubberIn the Spotlight The car manufacturer, famous for its association with the James Bond franchise, is ‘running out of road’
-
Why are beef prices rising? And how is politics involved?Today's Big Question Drought, tariffs and consumer demand all play a role
-
Electronic Arts to go private in record $55B dealspeed read The video game giant is behind ‘The Sims’ and ‘Madden NFL’
-
Labor: Federal unions struggle to survive TrumpFeature Trump moves to strip union rights from federal workers
