The Murdoch clan engages in clandestine legal struggles pertaining to inheritance. An elections technology firm aims to disclose the concealed proceedings.
For the first time, Smartmatic hasdirectly approached the probate court in Nevada, requesting a commissioner to release certain confidential documents related to the ongoing case. A source revealed this to CNN.
The voting technology firm is interested in scrutinizing sealed documents from the family dispute, which they believe will strengthen their defamation claims against Fox News. This information was shared by a source familiar with the recent filings in the Murdoch trust controversy. These documents may contain transcripts of depositions or trial testimonies from Rupert Murdoch, the media tycoon, and his family members who have significant control over Fox's parent company.
Following Donald Trump's 2020 election loss, several Fox News hosts and guests spread false allegations about Smartmatic's involvement in rigging the results to favor Joe Biden. These baseless claims form the basis of Smartmatic's extensive defamation lawsuit against Fox News and its parent company, Fox Corporation. The Fox entities categorically deny any claims of defamation.
The Murdoch family has been embroiled in a succession battle in complete secrecy within the Reno court. Earlier this month, a probate commissioner rejected Murdoch's, 93, attempt to modify the irrevocable family trust, allowing his most conservative son, Lachlan, to head Fox Corporation after his demise instead of sharing power with his siblings as planned.
The source disclosed that Smartmatic's court filings suggest that the Nevada case documents might contradict earlier assertions in the 2020 election litigation. Here, Fox asserted that control of the parent company does not influence Fox News' editorial direction. However, in the Nevada case, Rupert argues that Lachlan must succeed him to preserve Fox News' right-wing leanings.
A motion from an external party was recently filed in Nevada, as per public records. Despite this, Smartmatic's court documents remain sealed, and CNN has not gained access to them. Neither Fox nor the Murdoch family lawyers responded to CNN's request for comment regarding this issue. Fox's legal team had previously opposed disseminating records from the family trust dispute during Smartmatic's election defamation case last month.
In a hearing last month, Fox lawyer Winn Allen argued that, "That litigation is entirely irrelevant to this case. That is litigation pending in a Nevada probate court, and concerns changes that Mr. Murdoch made to the family trust in 2023, years after the alleged conduct in this case..."
CNN had previously reported that the Nevada probate commissioner reprimanded Rupert and Lachlan for acting in "bad faith" to manipulate the family trust. Their request to amend the family trust was rejected. They have the option to appeal the decision.
This sealed ruling was criticized by the New York Times, which gained access to the 96-page document. The commissioner argued that Rupert's proposal was a "carefully crafted charade" and that his representatives showed "dishonesty of purpose and motive."
Smartmatic's defamation trial against Fox is scheduled for next year in New York, unless an out-of-court settlement is reached, which is common in such cases. Smartmatic is also trying to acquire the Nevada records during the discovery phase of the New York litigation.
The lawsuit is among several 2020-related cases that remain pending in the courts. Smartmatic is pursuing legal action against Trump allies Mike Lindell and Sidney Powell. Smartmatic has reached settlements in similar litigation against conservative network Newsmax and the right-wing channel One America News.
A separate but similarly affected voting technology company, Dominion Voting Systems, achieved a settlement with Fox for over $787 million after the start of the defamation trial last year. Dominion continues to sue Newsmax, OAN, and other Trump allies.
All media outlets and Trump allies under litigation have denied any wrongdoing.
The business strategy of Smartmatic inclines towards strengthening their defamation claims against Fox News by scrutinizing confidential documents from the Murdoch trust dispute in Nevada. Various media outlets, including Fox News, have been involved in lawsuits related to false business accusations, resulting in settlements or ongoing legal battles.
