What lawsuits or settlements involving Fox News occurred between 2020 and 2025 and what were their outcomes?
Executive summary
Fox News paid $787.5 million to settle Dominion Voting Systems’ defamation suit in April 2023, averting a trial that would have revealed more internal documents [1] [2]. Separately, Smartmatic pursued a $2.7 billion defamation claim that a New York appeals court allowed to proceed in January 2025; as of the latest reporting in these sources it had not been resolved and involved disputes over discovery and alleged evidence destruction [3] [4].
1. The big payout: Dominion v. Fox — an 11th‑hour settlement
Dominion sued Fox in 2021 seeking large damages for on‑air allegations that its voting machines rigged the 2020 election; the case was set for trial in Delaware until Fox and Dominion reached a $787.5 million settlement on April 18, 2023, ending the courtroom showdown [1] [2]. Coverage and legal comment noted the deal avoided depositions of top executives and aired findings by Judge Eric Davis that many on‑air statements were false, even as Fox did not provide a public on‑air apology as part of the announced terms [5] [6].
2. What the Dominion settlement meant — money, accountability, and business calculus
The settlement was described as among the largest U.S. media defamation payouts and was framed by analysts as a costly but absorbable business decision for Fox, which has sizable cash reserves; commentators said the payment shielded the network from potentially more incriminating evidence being aired at trial [7] [8] [9]. Critics lamented the lack of a formal on‑air apology and argued financial settlements alone may not produce broader editorial change [10] [11].
3. Smartmatic’s $2.7 billion suit — alive and moving through appeals
Smartmatic filed its own defamation suit claiming $2.7 billion in damages over similar post‑2020‑election coverage; a New York appellate court ruled in January 2025 that Fox Corp. must face the claim, allowing Smartmatic’s allegations of active involvement and possible direct liability to proceed [3] [12]. Smartmatic’s filings have sought aggressive relief; reporting and the company’s own updates show litigation activity through 2025 including discovery disputes and allegations about destroyed communications [4] [12].
4. Discovery fights and evidence questions — what court papers reveal
Public reporting and Smartmatic’s own updates cite the release of thousands of internal documents and employee survey responses that became part of Smartmatic’s filings, and Smartmatic has accused Fox and individuals of failing to preserve or producing damaging communications — claims that fuel the case’s momentum [13] [4]. Reuters and other outlets reported the appeals court concluded Smartmatic sufficiently alleged that the Fox parent could be directly liable based on internal conduct and editorial decisions [3].
5. Other lawsuits and spillovers — a broader litigation landscape
The Dominion settlement did not close related litigation: outlets and other companies faced suits over election‑related coverage, and reporting indicates Newsmax later settled separately; commentators warned large settlements against major outlets could set varying precedents across the media ecosystem [14] [9]. Available sources do not mention other finalized settlements between Fox and third parties for 2020‑related coverage beyond Dominion and the ongoing Smartmatic litigation (not found in current reporting).
6. Competing narratives and hidden incentives
Fox framed its decisions as defending “extremely newsworthy” coverage and stressed First Amendment defenses, while plaintiffs argued internal documents showed conscious amplification of false claims to retain viewers — an incentive structure observers flagged as an implicit editorial driver [8] [5]. Analysts noted Fox’s financial capacity made paying a large settlement a rational corporate move even if critics saw it as avoiding deeper accountability [8] [10].
7. Where things stood as of the latest sources
By April 2023 Dominion’s suit was settled for $787.5 million and dismissed [1] [2]. Smartmatic’s $2.7 billion claim survived motions to dismiss and was proceeding as of January 2025, with ongoing discovery disputes reported thereafter [3] [4]. No final judgment or settlement in Smartmatic’s case is reported in the provided sources (not found in current reporting).
Limitations: this report uses only the supplied documents and news excerpts; developments after the latest cited pieces (notably late‑2025 reporting) exist but are outside the current source set (not found in current reporting).