Fox gave life to these lies.
You know, Fox took this small flame and they turned
it into a raging fire.
And if, if this case doesn't rise to the level
of defamation by a broadcaster, then then nothing does.
Fox published these false and defamatory statements not once, but
repeatedly.
They did it again and again, week after week after
week.
They did this by intentionally providing a platform for guests
like Cindy Powell and Rudy Giuliani to appear on Fox
programming, who Fox and its host knew were completely unreliable
sources and would tell these lies on Fox's air.
Fox also did this through statements made by and through
Fox's own agents, including Maria Bartiromo, Lou Dobbs, Jeanine Pirro,
Sean Hannity, and others who endorsed, repeated, and amplified these
lies.
Fox published these false and defamatory statements to make a
profit at Dominion's expense and at the expense of the
truth.
Fox was facing competition from other conservative media outlets for
viewers, including viewers unhappy with Fox's initial coverage of the
2020 presidential election.
So Fox knowingly lied about Dominion in order to keep,
increase and win back viewers.
Dominion is a strong supporter of the Free Press and
the 1st Amendment, but the 1st Amendment guarantees a Free
Press, not a consequence Free Press.
The Constitution does not give publishers license to defame.
So as Tom said earlier, we're not making new law
here.
We are enforcing the existing law in one of the
most extreme cases any of us have ever seen.