Rupert Murdoch May Testify As Early As Monday

Fox Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch is expected to be called to the witness stand in the trial of Dominion Voting Systems’ $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against his company as soon as Monday, according to people familiar with the matter.

Jury selection in the case is set to begin Thursday in Delaware, with opening arguments set for Monday. Murdoch would be the second witness called, meaning he would likely testify on Monday or Tuesday, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the schedule of Dominion’s witnesses has not yet been made public. The first witness is likely to be an expert on the Constitution’s First Amendment who will explain defamation law to jurors, the people said.

Bloomberg reports Murdoch is likely to be grilled about Fox News’ oversight of hosts and guests who repeatedly made false claims that Dominion’s machines were engineered to steal votes from then-President Donald Trump and give them to Democratic challenger Joe Biden and the company was set up by foreign businessmen specifically to rig elections. In a pre-trial deposition, Murdoch acknowledged he didn’t believe Dominion “engaged in a massive and coordinated effort to steal the 2020 presidential election.”

Others from Fox slated to testify in the case include Murdoch’s son, Lachlan, Fox Corp.’s CEO, Fox News hosts Maria Bartiromo and Tucker Carlson and ex-host Lou Dobbs. The trial in Wilmington, Delaware, is slated to last six weeks.

Meanwhile, a Delaware judge said Wednesday he’d appoint a court official to determine whether Fox misled him about Rupert Murdoch’s role at the network and whether documents and recordings were property turned over to Dominion.

“I’m concerned there may have been misrepresentations” made about Fox’s compliance with court rules governing pre-trial information exchanges, Superior Court Judge Eric Davis said in a pre-trial hearing Wednesday. Fox could face sanctions if it’s found to have withheld or destroyed relevant documents.

Dominion’s lawyers say one issue is Fox’s failure to turn over files showing Murdoch, the founder of Fox Corp., also held the executive chairman title at Fox News. That miscue harmed the voting-machine maker’s efforts to put together its defamation case, its lawyers said.

A Fox News spokesperson issued this statement: “Rupert Murdoch has been listed as executive chairman of FOX News in our SEC filings since 2019 and this filing was referenced by Dominion’s own attorney during his deposition.”