Judge ‘Would Not Quash’ Request for Rupert Murdoch, Lachlan Murdoch to Testify in Fox News-Dominion Trial

Rupert Murdoch and Lachlan Murdoch could be called upon to testify in Dominion Voting Systems defamation lawsuit suit against Fox News and Fox Corp., per a Delaware judge who says he is not against calling on the media moguls.

If the attorneys for Dominion issue trial subpoenas to force testimony from the Fox leaders, Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis said at a public hearing Wednesday he would not quash it and I would compel them to come, per NBC News. It would be my discretion that they come, Davis said.

Dominions attorneys requested in a letter to the court Wednesday that live testimony be required from Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch, as well as Fox board member and former House Speaker Paul Ryan and Fox exec Viet Dinh. Davis approved the request to compel each of them to testify, according to NBC News.

In a statement, Fox Corp. criticized the judges decision, casting it as a publicity stunt.

Dominion clearly wants to continue generating misleading stories from their friends in the media to distract from their weak case, a Fox spokesman said. 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.

On Tuesday, Fox News lawyers agreed to allow live testimony from Fox News anchors Tucker Carlson, Maria Bartiromo, Jeanine Pirro, Sean Hannity and former Fox Business Network anchor Lou Dobbs.

Attorneys for Fox have argued against Rupert Murdochs need to testify in court, noting his age at 92 and the fact he already gave a deposition.

At issue in the case are damages Dominion alleges it is owed after Fox News aired false claims about its actions and influence on the 2020 election. It is the second legal proceeding made against Fox News for its coverage of the aftermath of the 2020 race for the White House.Smartmatic, a separate voting technology company, has fileda massive $2.7 billion suit against Fox News. Both suits allege that Fox News falsely claimed the companies had rigged the election, repeated items about the matter and then refused to engage in efforts to set the record straight. The 2020 election was not fixed and its results were certified by multiple legal processes.

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