Fox Corporation’s Chief Legal Officer, Viet Dinh, will be leaving the company at the end of the year in the wake of the $787.5 million settlement paid to Dominion Voting Systems in April. The departure of Mr. Dinh, a former official in the George W. Bush White House who held significant power within Fox, comes as a major shake-up at the company.
However, despite leaving his current position, Mr. Dinh will continue to advise Fox following his exit, according to an announcement made by the company on Friday. It is important to note that Mr. Dinh has faced criticism for his advice during the Dominion suit, with some believing his counsel to be flawed. The suit revealed a pattern of deceptive coverage by Fox News after the 2020 presidential election.
During the Dominion lawsuit, Mr. Dinh insisted that Fox was on solid legal ground and could take the case to the Supreme Court, believing the company would prevail on First Amendment grounds. However, it is now uncertain how Fox will handle the major lawsuits it still faces, including a $2.7 billion lawsuit from Smartmatic for airing false claims about widespread election fraud. Moreover, Fox is also facing a defamation suit filed by Ray Epps, a figure involved in a conspiracy theory surrounding the U.S. Capitol attack on January 6, 2021.
The departure of Mr. Dinh raises questions about the future of Fox and its handling of these lawsuits, as well as two shareholder lawsuits related to its coverage and the handling of these legal challenges. Lachlan Murdoch, the chief executive of Fox, expressed his appreciation for Mr. Dinh’s contributions and service to the company over the years in a written statement.
The Dominion lawsuit has had significant consequences for both Fox and the Murdoch family, which controls the company. The fallout from the case presents one of the most significant challenges Fox has faced since allegations emerged more than a decade ago regarding hacking activities by journalists at its British newspaper division.
Emails and text messages released as part of the discovery process in the Dominion case revealed the skepticism among Fox executives, including founder Rupert Murdoch and network hosts, towards former President Donald J. Trump’s claims of voter fraud leading to his election loss. Despite this skepticism, Fox News continued to provide a platform for numerous on-air personalities and guests propagating these claims.
In April, Fox canceled the program of its most-watched prime-time host, Tucker Carlson, after private messages showed him expressing more critical views of Mr. Trump than what was presented on his show. One message containing a racist sentiment prompted an internal investigation by the Fox board, ultimately contributing to Mr. Carlson’s ousting.
With ongoing developments in this story, continued updates are anticipated.