Fox and Facts
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Fox and Facts
In the days after the 2020 election, Fox News and Fox Business?broadcast wild and unfounded allegations?about rigged voting machines and other conspiracy theories.
Behind the scenes, we now know that Fox’s own hosts and executives were?ridiculing these claims?as “absurd,” “ludicrous,” and “shockingly reckless.” But they were?worried about losing viewers?to far-right competitors. Profits were at stake.
These are among the revelations from a $1.6 billion lawsuit filed against Fox by Dominion Voting Systems. In a?deposition made public this week, Rupert Murdoch himself said he wished the networks had been “stronger in denouncing” the lies, despite acknowledging that Fox hosts repeatedly endorsed conspiracy theories about a stolen election.Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
It will be up to a court to decide whether the networks’ conduct amounted to defamation. But it was a clear disservice to Fox viewers, who deserved to know that the election wasn’t rigged or stolen. It was?free, fair, and secure.
It was also a disservice to hundreds of dedicated state and local election officials, who had to fight a torrent of disinformation, not to mention?threats to their own safety, to get the truth out in real time.
“Even under wave after wave of scrutiny,” as Votebeat?wrote this week, state and local election officials’ “reassurances about the security and integrity of the 2020 election have been supported by the facts.”
By giving oxygen to what were obviously ridiculous conspiracy theories, Fox caused lasting damage to Americans’ faith and confidence in our elections. The voters who tuned in deserved better. They deserved the truth.
State of the States
In Wisconsin,?the nonprofit organization Law Forward?filed an ethics complaint?against Michael Gableman, who?was fired?after leading a sham review of the 2020 election that found?no evidence of fraud. Law Forward filed the complaint with the Office of Lawyer Regulation, an agency of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and urged the agency to hold Gableman accountable. The complaint, which?runs more than 100 pages, details how he hired conspiracy theorists, intimidated voters with unlawful subpoenas, spread disinformation, and lied repeatedly to the government and the public. An?accompanying letter?calls Gableman’s review a “disastrous and embarrassing attack on Wisconsin’s legal and political institutions.” Law Forward said in a statement: “His actions were and continue to be a threat to democracy, plain and simple, and a violation of his sworn duty to uphold both the U.S. and Wisconsin constitutions.”
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In the News
By Nicholas Riccardi and Joey Cappelletti
“‘The rise of this dangerous ideology nationwide and the rise within party machinery are ominous,’ said?Norm Eisen, a prominent Washington lawyer and former ambassador who is executive chair of?States United Democracy Center, which tracks election deniers. ‘It’s an outrageous phenomenon.’”
Newsweek (Opinion):?The Threat of Election Denial Is Still Real—and Very Dangerous
By former U.S. Sen. Tim Wirth and Tom Rogers
“ … election deniers are still very much regrouping for another assault on our democratic election process, and they still have plenty of troop strength at the state, the county and local level.”
The Wall Street Journal:?House Republicans Plan Wider Media Access to Jan. 6 Video
By Andrew Ackerman and Siobhan Hughes
“House Republican lawmakers said they plan to allow a broad group of media outlets to view security-camera footage from the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, about a week after Fox News host Tucker Carlson said his show was granted access to the tapes.”
The Arizona Republic:?At Arizona Capitol, Republican leaders spotlight far-fetched election conspiracies
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By Ray Stern
“If the presentations have proven anything, it’s that conspiracy-minded Republican leaders aren’t backing down in the face of election losses and investigations that continue to debunk their claims.”
By Jen Fifield
“Elections in Cochise County [Ariz.] will now be run almost entirely by Recorder David Stevens, an election skeptic who has said he does not fully trust all of his county’s election procedures and believes the county can and should move to hand-counting ballots.”
By Ben Orner
“Michigan House Democrats have introduced a package of bills they say will protect election officials and workers by increasing penalties for harassment and banning guns from voting locations. The four bills follow promises that Democrats have made early in this new legislature — where they hold majorities in both chambers — to further secure Michigan’s elections.”
By Alex Burness
“This takeover of GOP infrastructure by candidates who spread false conspiracies about the 2020 election has continued even since their?high-profile losses?in the fall of 2022.”
WPR:?Pricetag on Assembly Republicans’ investigation into the 2020 presidential election nears $2.5M
By Anya van Wagtendonk
“A court judgment against Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, has added another $135,000 to the cost of the Assembly Republicans’ investigation into the 2020 presidential election. The ruling brings the total price tag attached to that investigation to almost $2.5 million in taxpayer dollars, according to a?review by WisPolitics.”
Opinion of the Week
Arizona Attorney General?Kris Mayes?spoke to The Guardian?about protecting the freedom to vote and her vow to prosecute those who threaten election officials.
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About the States United Democracy Center:
The States United Democracy Center is a nonpartisan organization advancing free, fair, and secure elections. We focus on connecting state officials, law enforcement leaders, and pro-democracy partners across America with the tools and expertise they need to safeguard our democracy. We are more than a think tank—we are an action tank. And together, we are committed to making sure every vote is counted, every voice is heard, and every election is safe. To learn more, visit?www.statesuniteddemocracy.org.
About States United Action
States United Action is a nonpartisan section 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization with a mission to protect our elections and our democracy. States United Action advocates for policies that protect election integrity, hold democracy violators accountable, and prevent political violence that threatens to undermine the will of the American people, and amplifies the voices of state leaders and law enforcement leaders who share these values. To learn more, visit?www.statesuniteddemocracy.org/states-united-action.
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