NEW YORK – Fox News opposes a renewed attempt by three news organizations to unseal documents related to its recently settled libel lawsuit, saying it would do nothing except “satisfy private malice or foster public scandal.”
The Associated Press, New York Times and National Public Radio earlier this week asked a Delaware judge to disclose mostly private text messages and conversations between Fox employees uncovered during Dominion Voting Systems’ lawsuit shortly after the 2020 presidential election.
Fox attorney Katharine L. Mowery said in a letter to Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis late Wednesday that much of the material the competitors were looking for was not relevant to the issues at issue. She said the media had no right to access such recordings.
Many of the conversations already uncovered have proven newsworthy, showing Fox are hosts and executives didn’t believe the false accusations via Dominion’s voting machines, but continued to broadcast them nonetheless. Another batch of messages was revealed former Fox host Tucker Carlson’s Contempt for former President Donald Trump, including a text declaring, “I hate him passionately.”
“They have not been shy about sharing the releases with the greatest headline potential,” Mowery wrote of the media questioning the sealed documents.
One of the reasons Fox agreed to settle the case was to “buy peace and put an end to the media spectacle,” she wrote.
The news organizations said the documents, which Fox said most were redacted because they contained proprietary information about the company, are still relevant.
Fox agreed to pay $787 million last month end the case. Dominion had accused the network keep making false claims that his voting equipment rigged the 2020 election against Trump, despite knowledge these claims were false.
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