Yesterday, Fox News agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems $787.5 million to drop its defamation lawsuit against the network.

That’s more than the reported net worth of music icons like Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, Dolly Parton, Mick Jagger, or Taylor Swift. More than the reported net worth of beloved movie stars like Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, or Tom Hanks. More than the reported net worth of legendary athletes like Lionel Messi, Magic Johnson, or Serena Williams.

It’s also more than the combined GDPs of Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, and Tuvalu — island nations that could literally disappear under rising seas. That’s just one of the existential risks posed by human-caused climate change, the reality of which Fox News routinely downplays or even outright denies.

So, why was Fox News willing to pay more than three-quarters-of-a-billion dollars to keep this lawsuit from going to trial?

Could it be that the network knew it had willfully and repeatedly pushed Donald Trump’s Big Lie that the 2020 election was “stolen” from him, including by allegedly flawed voting machines, even though it knew that claim to be false?

And that Fox News wanted to keep on-air “talent” like Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, and Laura Ingraham — not to mention its owner, Rupert Murdoch — from having to admit under oath that they knew what they were telling their viewers was not true?

This settlement will not bankrupt Fox News. But make no mistake, it has inflicted real damage on the company, which faces many more related lawsuits.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump himself has yet to face legal consequences for the Big Lie, his role in instigating the January 6 insurrection, or his scheming to remain in power.

How much longer must we wait to see Donald Trump held accountable for what amounted to an attempted coup d’etat?

A message for Attorney General Merrick Garland and Department of Justice Special Counsel Jack Smith:

The American people have been waiting more than two years for Donald Trump to be held accountable for any crimes he committed as part of his effort to illegally remain in power despite losing the 2020 election. We know this demands thorough investigation, and we know that takes time. That said, we urge the Department of Justice to charge and prosecute Donald Trump as soon as practicable.

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For justice and democracy,

- Robert Weissman, President of Public Citizen

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