Lead attorneys in Dominion Voting Systems' lawsuit against Fox News, Stephen Shackelford and Davida Brook, discuss the ongoing litigation, trials against Newsmax and Rudy Giuliani, and setting the record straight. They highlight Dominion's resolve and hardships faced, the intense process of document discovery, and the importance of internal communications in proving Fox News' state of mind.
Dominion Voting Systems has ongoing lawsuits against multiple defendants including Fox News, Newsmax, and Rudy Giuliani, aiming to hold them accountable for spreading damaging lies about the 2020 election.
The legal battle faced by Dominion and its legal team, despite the challenges of harassment and threats, demonstrates their commitment to revealing the truth and ensuring no forgetting or memory-holing of the election disinformation.
Deep dives
The Dominion lawsuits continue
Dominion Voting Systems has ongoing lawsuits against Newsmax, One America News, Mike Lindell, Mike Pillow, Sidney Powell, Rudy Giuliani, and Patrick Byrne. The lawsuits are proceeding towards trial, with depositions scheduled for the spring. The cases in Washington, D.C. are moving more slowly due to the court's busy schedule with January 6 cases. However, the Delaware court, where the Fox case was filed, has been able to move quickly. Dominion is committed to completing this work and holding all defendants accountable.
Dominion's mission to defend election integrity
Before Dominion became a household name, the law firm Sussman Godfrey, including lawyers Stephen Schackelford and Davida Brooke, volunteered their time to ensure all legally cast votes were counted during the 2020 election. They worked on cases related to election challenges and stood up in court to defend the election results against baseless claims. Dominion Voting Systems, as a successful and trusted company, was targeted because they were in swing states. Despite being heroes of the election for their accurate paper ballot counting, Dominion faced unfounded attacks.
The toll on Dominion employees and the importance of accountability
Throughout the legal battle, Dominion employees faced harassment, threats, and a significant disruption to their lives. The resolve of Dominion and its investor Staple Street Capitol to go forward with the lawsuits despite the challenges sets them apart. The defamation suits aim to reveal the truth and hold Fox News and other defendants accountable for spreading damaging lies. The goal is to set the record straight and ensure there is no forgetting or memory-holing of the election disinformation.
The legal process and discovery challenges in the Dominion case
Navigating the legal complexities, Dominion's legal team fought for access to internal communications and emails at Fox News to establish the state of mind behind the spread of false information. The discovery process involved arguments, negotiations, and hearings, with certain documents marked confidential. While facing some setbacks, the team successfully obtained documents and prepared for depositions. The trial was set for April 2023, as the judge recognized the importance of addressing the issue and getting to trial quickly.
Host Brian Stelter speaks with Stephen Shackelford and Davida Brook, two of the lead attorneys in Dominion Voting Systems' lawsuit against Fox. "We have so much work ahead of us," Shackelford says, because even though Fox paid $787.5 million earlier this year to settle the case, Dominion is still suing many other defendants, including Newsmax and Rudy Giuliani. Those cases are "all proceeding towards trial," Brook says. Shackelford says Dominion was "put through hell" by Donald Trump's election lies in 2020 – "hell that continues to this day." Brooks says the ongoing litigation is about "setting the record straight."