Fox News Network has lost its attempt to dismiss a $US1.6 billion ($A2.2 billion) lawsuit brought by Dominion Voting Systems, a voting machine company that says Fox defamed it by amplifying conspiracy theories about its technology.
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In a written ruling on Thursday, Delaware court judge Eric Davis said Dominion had sufficiently alleged it was defamed by Fox News' 2020 election coverage and the case should proceed toward trial.
"At this stage, it is reasonably conceivable that Dominion has a claim for defamation per se," Davis said. "Accordingly, Fox's Motion should be denied."
Dominion's lawsuit filed in March accused Fox of trying to boost its TV ratings by falsely claiming the company rigged the presidential election against Republican Donald Trump, who lost to Joe Biden, a Democrat.
In a statement, a Fox News spokesperson called Dominion's lawsuit "baseless" and said the network remains committed to defending itself.
"As we have maintained, FOX News, along with every single news organisation across the country, vigorously covered the breaking news surrounding the unprecedented 2020 election, providing full context of every story with in-depth reporting and clear-cut analysis," the Fox spokesperson said.
Australian Associated Press