The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Sept. 30, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

The FCC levied a $6 Million dollar fine Sept. 26th for an A-I deep fake robocall in January’s NH Presidential Primary, and on the eve of a civil trial, conservative outlet Newsmax settled a lawsuit with voting machine maker Smartmatic. 

In February, we reported on a robocall using an A-I generated voice of President Joe Biden, urging citizens not to vote in the New Hampshire Presidential Primary.  After a federal and state investigation, the FCC fined Steve Kramer, the political consultant allegedly behind the scheme, $6 Million dollars. A separate $1 Million dollar fine was levied on Lingo Telecom in August.  Kramer also faces felony charges in New Hampshire.

Just days before a civil trial was to begin, conservative outlet Newsmax settled with optical ballot machine maker Smartmatic, September 26th.  Like Dominion Voting Systems, Smartmatic’s machines were falsely implicated in a 2020 voter fraud conspiracy theory, driven by former President Trump’s false claims about the election.  Those claims were widely aired on Newsmax, Fox News and other outlets. No settlement terms were disclosed.

Fox News and Fox Corporation, which settled with Dominion Voting Systems for $787 Million dollars, also faces a $2.7 Billion dollar suit by Smartmatic, a case likely to be heard in 2025.   Fox says it is protected by the First Amendment.

We have more on both of these stories at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

American Democracy Minute – Suspected Senders Identified in AI-Generated Robo Calls Faking Joe Biden’s Voice Before New Hampshire’s Presidential Primary
Federal Communications Commission – FCC FINES MAN BEHIND ELECTION INTERFERENCE SCHEME $6
MILLION FOR SENDING ILLEGAL ROBOCALLS THAT USED
DEEPFAKE GENERATIVE AI TECHNOLOGY
InDepthNH – Consultant Fined $6M for NH Robo Calls Imitating Biden Before January Primary
CNN – Fox board members subpoenaed in Smartmatic’s defamation lawsuit over 2020 election lies

NPR – Voting-tech company settles with right-wing network over false election claims
The Guardian – Newsmax and Smartmatic settle 2020 US election defamation lawsuit
American Democracy Minute – (2023) Fox News Troubles Not Over Yet, With More Potentially Embarrassing Lawsuits Pending

Check Your Voter Registration:

• U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State
• USA Vote Foundation – Registration, Eligibility, State Election Office Links
• Vote.Gov – Register to Vote in Your State
• Vote.Org – Check Your Registration to Vote
  
  

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #FoxNews #Smartmatic #Newsmax #BigLie

The post FCC Fines Man Allegedly Behind NH Primary AI Robocall $6 Million; Newsmax Settles with Smartmatic Over Airing 2020 Voting Machine Conspiracy Theories appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for April 20, 2023

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

NPR – Fox News settles blockbuster defamation lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems
Associated Press – Fox, Dominion reach $787M settlement over election claims
Newsweek – Fox News, OAN, Newsmax Defamation Lawsuit Explained
The Guardian – The legal problems still overshadowing Fox News after its Dominion settlement
Washington Post – (paywall) Fox News still faces $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit from Smartmatic
Reuters – Dominion sees no chance of settling suits against pro-Trump lawyers Giuliani, Powell
Business Insider – Supreme Court won’t let MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell dodge Dominion’s $1.3 billion defamation lawsuit

Today’s Script:  (Variations occur with audio due to editing for time)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

The defamation lawsuit brought by Dominion Election Systems came to a screeching – and expensive – halt Tuesday, as Fox Corporation agreed to pay $787.5 million dollars without having to make an on-air apology.  Fox’s troubles are not over yet, however. Several pending lawsuits are likely to expose even more embarrassing behavior.

Pre-trial disclosures showed Fox management and hosts knew that stories about Dominion equipment being involved in voter fraud were untrue, prompting Judge Eric Davis to say in a in March ruling that allowed the case to go to trial, “The evidence developed in this civil proceeding demonstrates that it is CRYSTAL clear that none of the Statements relating to Dominion about the 2020 election are true.” 

The settlement avoids a PR disaster for Fox  – but only for a minute.  A $2.6 Billion dollar lawsuit by another election equipment company, Smartmatic, is also moving forward in a New York court.  Fox also faces a suit by one of its senior producers, who claims Fox lawyers tried to coerce her into giving misleading testimony in the Dominion case.  Discovery in either case may lead to disclosure of more damning emails and documents. 

Dominion and Smartmatic also have cases pending against Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo and former host Lou Dobbs, conservative talk channels NewsMax and One America Network, Trump lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell.

We have links to articles at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews

The post Fox News Troubles Not Over Yet, With More Potentially Embarrassing Lawsuits Pending appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for April 3, 2023

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
The Hill – Judge sends Dominion’s $1.6 billion lawsuit against Fox News to trial

Delaware Journal – Delaware judge rules $1.6 billion Fox News defamation case to head to trial in April
Associated Press – Colorado’s Dominion Voting Systems says it’s losing money and opportunities due to Fox News lawsuit
The Guardian – Fox News braces for more turbulence as second defamation lawsuit advances
NBC News – Here’s what Fox News was trying to hide in its Dominion lawsuit redactions
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences – No evidence for systematic voter fraud: A guide to statistical claims about the 2020 election

Today’s Script:  (Variations occur with audio due to editing for time)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

Lost among last week’s headlines of former President Donald Trump’s indictment was news of the legal blow suffered by the former president’s biggest cheerleader, Fox News.

In a 130-page ruling, a Delaware judge said that the $1.6 Billion dollar defamation lawsuit by Dominion Voting Systems against Fox News will go to trial.  Judge Eric Davis said that Dominion had proved that Fox had lied about Dominion’s ballot tabulating machines having been manipulated against Trump.  Quote, “The evidence developed in this civil proceeding demonstrates that it is CRYSTAL clear that none of the Statements relating to Dominion about the 2020 election are true.”

This decision was on a pretrial motion to grant a summary judgment – a decision by the judge rather than a jury.  The judge denied that motion, sending the case to a jury trial beginning April 17.   Fox News is expected to argue that the First Amendment protected their actions, and Dominion hopes to convince the jury that Fox intentionally lied, defaming Dominion and causing its sales and stock value to plummet. 

The false claims of widespread voter fraud, which included accusations against Dominion and competitor Smartmatic, led to widespread suspicion of election results, needless new voting laws, blocking of election certifications, and threats against election workers.  Smartmatic’s $2.7 Billion dollar lawsuit is also advancing.  

We have links and articles at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews

The post Judge Rules Fox News Lied About Dominion Voting Systems Being Linked to Fraud; Sends Case to Jury Trial appeared first on American Democracy Minute.