A federal judge has ordered a swift update in the ongoing defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems against One America News Network (OAN) and several other defendants.
According to Newsweek, Judge Moxila A. Upadhyaya has given the conservative broadcaster a mere five minutes to explain a dispute that is holding up the billion-dollar case during a hearing scheduled for September 12, 2024.
The lawsuit, which seeks over $1 billion in damages, alleges that OAN made false claims about Dominion's voting machines helping to rig the 2020 presidential election in favor of Joe Biden. The case names Herring Networks, Inc., doing business as OAN, along with its owners Robert Herring Sr. and Charles Herring, and journalists Chanel Rion and Christina Bobb as defendants.
The legal action also includes other high-profile defendants such as Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, former Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne, and My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell. These individuals are accused of promoting conspiracy theories about Dominion's role in the 2020 election outcome.
Judge Upadhyaya's order comes after noting that the plaintiffs and OAN defendants have submitted joint status reports on discovery disputes three times without reaching a resolution. The virtual discovery hearing, set to take place via Zoom, will require each party to explain their positions on each dispute within a strict five-minute time limit.
The areas of contention include a disclosure protocol involving specific disputes between Dominion and OAN. The network has reportedly been resisting some of Dominion's discovery claims, contributing to the ongoing legal deadlock.
Adding complexity to the case, defendant Christina Bobb has requested a partial stay to prepare for her separate trial in Arizona. Bobb faces charges related to allegedly attempting to illegally overturn the 2020 presidential election results in that state.
In response to Bobb's request, Dominion filed a brief on August 7, 2024, opposing any delay in the defamation proceedings. The voting machine company argued:
Forty-one months after Dominion brought its case, in April 2024, Bobb was indicted by the Arizona Attorney General in Maricopa County, Arizona. The 9-count indictment does not so much as mention the word 'Dominion.' Instead, it charges Bobb and 17 co-defendants with a conspiracy to submit a fraudulent slate of Trump/Pence electors from Arizona to Congress on January 6, 2021,
This statement from Dominion underscores their position that Bobb's Arizona trial should not impede the progress of their defamation lawsuit.
The Dominion case against OAN is part of a broader legal landscape involving voting machine companies and media outlets. In April 2024, another voting machine company, Smartmatic, settled its lawsuit against OAN for an undisclosed amount. Smartmatic had claimed that OAN's allegations of vote rigging had significantly decreased its business value.
Additionally, in September 2023, former Dominion official Eric Coomer reached a settlement with OAN and journalist Chanel Rion in a separate case. The terms of this settlement were also not disclosed to the public.
These settlements highlight the potential financial and reputational risks faced by media organizations accused of spreading false information about election integrity. They also underscore the ongoing legal battles surrounding the 2020 presidential election and its aftermath.
The upcoming hearing on September 12 represents a critical juncture in the Dominion lawsuit against OAN. Judge Upadhyaya's order for a concise five-minute explanation from each party suggests a desire to expedite the resolution of ongoing disputes. The outcome of this hearing could significantly impact the trajectory of the billion-dollar defamation case, potentially influencing future legal actions related to election misinformation claims.
