Defamation

In April 2023, Fox News settled Dominion Voting Systems' defamation lawsuit for $787.5 million — the largest known media defamation settlement in US history. During pre-trial discovery, internal Fox communications revealed that hosts like Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, and Laura Ingraham privately dismissed the election fraud claims as "ludicrous," "insane," and "really crazy" while continuing to air them. Fox chairman Rupert Murdoch admitted under oath that some Fox hosts "endorsed" the false claims. Fox settled on the eve of trial without admitting wrongdoing or airing an apology.

Dominion Voting Systems

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Dominion Voting Systems is a voting technology company that became the central target of debunked conspiracy theories alleging its machines were rigged to flip votes from Trump to Biden. Multiple audits, recounts, and forensic examinations confirmed Dominion machines worked accurately. The company filed defamation lawsuits against Fox News ($787.5M settlement), Giuliani, Powell, Lindell, OAN, and Newsmax, winning or settling for massive sums and vindicating its technology.

Fox News

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Fox News amplified debunked claims about Dominion Voting Systems and election fraud on its programming. Internal communications revealed during the Dominion lawsuit showed that Fox hosts and executives privately acknowledged the fraud claims were false while continuing to air them for ratings. Fox News settled the Dominion lawsuit for $787.5 million — the largest known media defamation settlement in US history — without ever airing a public apology.

John Poulos is the CEO of Dominion Voting Systems, whose company became the target of debunked conspiracy theories claiming its machines were designed to flip votes from Trump to Biden. Under Poulos's leadership, Dominion filed multiple defamation lawsuits against those who spread false claims, including Fox News (settled for $787.5 million), Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, and Mike Lindell. Every audit and investigation confirmed Dominion machines functioned properly.

Mike Lindell

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Mike Lindell, CEO of MyPillow, became one of the most prolific promoters of debunked conspiracy theories about voting machines. He claimed to have "proof" that Chinese hackers switched votes via Dominion machines — evidence that cybersecurity experts unanimously dismissed as fabricated. Lindell spent millions of his own money promoting these claims and was sued by Dominion Voting Systems for defamation. He offered a $5 million reward to anyone who could disprove his data; a cybersecurity expert won the challenge but Lindell refused to pay.

One America News Network

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One America News Network (OAN) was a right-wing cable network that aggressively promoted debunked election fraud claims, including conspiracy theories about Dominion and Smartmatic voting machines. OAN aired content from figures like Mike Lindell and promoted the discredited Arizona "audit." The network settled a defamation lawsuit with Smartmatic and was dropped by multiple cable carriers. OAN broadcast claims that were uniformly rejected by courts.

Ruby Freeman was a temporary election worker in Fulton County, Georgia, who was falsely accused by Trump, Giuliani, and others of pulling "suitcases" of fraudulent ballots from under a table during vote counting. Multiple investigations, including by the GBI, confirmed the "suitcases" were standard ballot containers and the counting was legitimate. Freeman and her daughter Shaye Moss received death threats and harassment. Giuliani was found liable for defaming them and ordered to pay $148 million.

Rudy Giuliani

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Rudy Giuliani served as Trump's lead attorney in challenging the 2020 election results. He promoted debunked conspiracy theories about Dominion Voting Systems and other baseless fraud claims, including the infamous Four Seasons Total Landscaping press conference. Giuliani was disbarred in New York and Washington D.C. for making false statements about the election. He was found liable for defaming Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss and ordered to pay $148 million in damages.

Shaye Moss, a Fulton County election worker and daughter of Ruby Freeman, was targeted alongside her mother by false accusations of election fraud. Her emotional testimony before the January 6 Committee detailed the death threats, racist harassment, and life-altering fear she experienced after being publicly named by Trump and Giuliani. Moss's testimony was considered some of the most powerful of the committee's hearings, putting a human face on the consequences of election disinformation.

Smartmatic is an election technology company that was falsely accused of being connected to Venezuela and involved in rigging the 2020 election. In reality, Smartmatic's technology was only used in Los Angeles County in the 2020 election. The company filed a $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News, which went to trial. The conspiracy theories linking Smartmatic to Venezuela and election fraud were entirely fabricated.