Oregon̵7;s attorney general has opened an investigation into the matter. Fox Corporation on his responsibility to the board of directors Fox News‘ Broadcast of false election claims following the 2020 presidential election. This led to Fox’s $787.5 million deal in April dominion voting system,
Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, representing the Oregon Public Employees’ Retirement Fund, said the investigation would explore a potential shareholder lawsuit against the board.
“We look forward to holding the board accountable and protecting the long-term value of Oregon’s investment.” Fox CorporationRosenblum said in a statement.
State Treasurer Tobias Reed, a member of the Oregon Investment Council, will also participate in the investigation. “The investigation of Fox’s books and records is a necessary and important step in fulfilling our obligation to our beneficiaries,” Reid said in a statement. Rosenblum and Reed are both Democrats.
Rosenblum’s office said that Fox’s directors and senior executives “have a duty to manage the company competently, honestly and in a manner that prevents potential and catastrophic financial loss to the company’s shareholders by Dominion and the Smartmatic suite.” “
A Fox Corp spokeswoman said she had no comment.
Fox News and Fox Corp were sued in 2021 by Dominion Voting Systems for $1.6 billion. The Election Systems company claimed that its reputation was damaged after the network aired false claims that it was responsible for rigging the 2020 presidential election. The case was set for trial in Delaware Superior Court in April, but was settled only after a jury was seated.
Fox has defended its airing of false election claims, arguing that it was covering newsworthy allegations from then-President Donald Trump and his allies. But in a pre-trial summary judgment, Judge Eric M. Davis rejected newsworthiness as a defense.
Last month, Fox Corp CEO Lachlan Murdoch told an investor conference that had the Dominion case moved forward, “we were going to be involved in a multi-year, protracted legal battle, which we would ultimately win, but for the company Distraction would have been extraordinarily costly to our development plans, our management, which is why we decided to compromise. He said it was “a difficult decision but ultimately the right decision, because I do not believe that Fox News or any of our hosts engaged in any defamation throughout the term.”
Fox is also facing a lawsuit in a New York court from another election system company, Smartmatic. That case is still in the investigation phase.