The $1.6 billion slander lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems against Fox News reveals former House Speaker Paul Ryan’s claimed influence over the network’s editorial decisions, allegedly pressuring it to distance itself from former President Trump.
In addition to discussing “the future of cable as well as the streaming services,” the lawsuit claims that the Board heard presentations on Fox Nation that would “super-serve & expand Our Loyal Audience” and “keep” them in the “Fox News ecosystem.” They discussed this in relation to Trump launching his own media empire, according to the lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit, Ryan “shared this perspective as a fiduciary with Rupert and Lachlan and believed that the period directly following the Presidential Election in 2020 was a pretty vital inflection point, not only for their company Fox but also for the nation as well as the conservative movement itself.”
The lawsuit cites Ryan’s statements to Rupert and Lachlan that “Fox News should not be pushing conspiracy theories” as an example of his impact on Fox News’ editorial coverage. Ryan “offered Lachlan and Rupert plenty of programming proposals, as well as suggestions regarding material and program presenters,” according to Dominion.
Dominion further asserts that Ryan encouraged the Murdochs to completely distance themselves from Trump:
“Ryan provided Lachlan and Rupert with a ton of programming ideas, as well as ideas for show topics and hosts. Id. 410:8-22. He specifically advised the Murdochs that Fox should change course during this crucial turning moment from November 2020 to January 2021 and continually urge people to move past Donald Trump and cease spreading electoral lies.”
