Dominion and Fox vs. Davis in the 2020 Election: Breakdown of the Cosmic Anomaly between Fox and the Mediators

Fox couldn’t persuade a judge of any of those defenses. In fact, the judge in this case, Eric Davis, ruled in March that “it is CRYSTAL clear that none of the statements relating to Dominion about the 2020 election are true” — a decision that was a huge setback for Fox and may have led to its eagerness to settle the case.

The talks have begun to get more intense, according to several people briefed on the discussions, thanks to a breakthrough series of deal points that the two sides could work from. He knew top lawyers for both companies, having recently mediated another case in which their firms had also been on opposing sides.

The judge made time for the parties to find a way to work out their differences. Before opening arguments were set to begin, he dismissed the jury for lunch as the contours of an actual deal started to come into view. He grew visibly impatient as the jurors finished a platter of wraps and salads from nearby Cavanaugh’s — only to sit for hours awaiting the trial’s start.

That a deal happened at all was amazing. The sides did not make any serious efforts to settle the lawsuit since it was filed more than two years ago. Dominion and its lawyers liked the strength of its case, bolstered by emails, texts and depositions revealing how many inside Fox had worried that their promotion of conspiracy theories about Dominion machines was wrong.