The judge in the Dominion v. Fox News case just imposed sanctions on Fox and it could get worse. Dominion played for the judge very relevant recordings that Fox should have turned over to Dominion during discovery. The recordings include conversations between Fox employees and Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani, discussing how the allegations against Dominion were bogus.
So how did Dominion get the recordings? Not from Fox. Dominion got the recordings from Abby Grossberg, the former Fox News producer who is suing Fox claiming that Fox’s attorneys told her to lie in her prior deposition testimony, essentially to get her to take the fall.
Particularly with the trial supposed to start next week, the judge is understandably pissed. His sanctions include that if things are delayed, if Dominion must conduct more depositions, or redo prior depositions, that Fox will pay for it all.
Dominion’s attorneys also revealed to the judge that Rupert Murdoch was an officer of Fox News, holding the title of executive chair according to SEC filings. Yet Fox repeatedly represented to the court, and in discovery, that Murdoch was not an officer with Fox News.
Fox’s attorneys, already accused by Grossberg of suborning perjury, have another potential problem. The judge also indicated may appoint a special master to investigate Fox’s failure to timely produce this discovery itself. This strongly suggests the judge smells something fishy and that Fox’s attorneys could be under investigation for illegal or unethical acts.