Fox News has filed a defamation lawsuit against Dominion Voting Systems for spreading false information about the company after the 2020 election. Dominion Voting Systems, which is not owned by BlackRock, the same company that owns Fox News, falsely claimed on social media that the two companies were connected. The lawsuit was later settled.
Complete Narrative
In 2021, Dominion Voting Systems, which claims that its voting machines are utilized by over 40% of American voters, initiated a defamation lawsuit against Fox News following the 2020 election. The lawsuit accuses the news organization and certain commentators, such as Tucker Carlson, of disseminating falsehoods regarding the company.
The libel lawsuit was resolved for $787.5 million on April 18th.
After the resolution, Fox stated in a declaration, “This agreement exemplifies FOX’s ongoing dedication to the utmost journalistic principles. We recognize the Court’s decisions that have determined specific allegations regarding Dominion to be untrue.”
After the lawsuit was resolved, false allegations circulating on social media suggest that BlackRock, the identical investment firm, possesses both Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems.
“YES, is all this believing nonsense for fools? Yes. Are millions writing to get them now? Yes. Are they being sued now? Yes. Does Dominion own Blackrock? Yes. Does Fox News own Blackrock? Yes. Did Fox News settle with Dominion? Yes,” read a post on Facebook.Output: “Indeed, is all this belief nonsense for fools? Absolutely. Are millions currently writing to obtain them? Certainly. Are they currently facing lawsuits? Indeed. Does Dominion possess Blackrock? Absolutely. Does Fox News possess Blackrock? Indeed. Did Fox News reach a settlement with Dominion? Certainly,” read a post on Facebook.
Actor Kevin Sorbo wrote in a widely-shared tweet, “Carlson Tucker and Fox are in trouble, as Blackrock sues them, along with Dominion. Additionally, Blackrock has a majority ownership stake in both Dominion and Fox News.”
The corporation did not file a lawsuit against itself. Therefore, it possesses no shares of Dominion Voting Systems and merely holds a minority interest in Fox News. However, BlackRock does.
BlackRock addressed the social media allegations by posting a tweet on April 26th.
BlackRock, April 26: “BlackRock has no ownership stake in Dominion Voting Systems, and we are not involved in the hiring and firing of employees at public companies in which our clients are invested. Dominion Voting Systems is owned by a private equity firm that is not affiliated with BlackRock.”
Dominion Energy, an energy company headquartered in Virginia, has 59 million ownership shares in a separate company with a similar name, BlackRock.
BlackRock holds 45.7 million stocks in Fox Corp., Constituting a 15.1% ownership stake.
The remaining portion is possessed by additional individuals within the company’s management. John Poulos, the Chief Executive Officer of Dominion Voting Systems, possesses a 12% share of the organization. Staple Street Capital, a privately-held investment firm, holds a 76% interest in Dominion Voting Systems.
Facebook does not have any control over our editorial content. Our previous stories can be found here. FactCheck.Org is one of several organizations working with Facebook to debunk misinformation shared on social media. Editor’s note.
Sources
BlackRock. “Regarding BlackRock in the United States.” Accessed May 3, 2023.
Twitter. 26 Apr 2023. “Dominion Voting Systems is possessed by a private investment company that is not associated with BlackRock.” BlackRock (@BlackRock). “BlackRock does not possess any ownership interest in Dominion Voting Systems, and we are not engaged in the recruitment and termination of personnel at publicly traded companies in which our clients have investments.
Fintel Ventures. “BlackRock Inc. Ownership in D / Dominion Resources, Inc.” Retrieved on May 3, 2023.
Fintel Ventures. “BlackRock Inc. Holding in FOXA / Fox Corporation – Class A.” Accessed 3 May 2023.
Folkenflik, David and Mary Yang. “Fox News resolves significant defamation lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems.” NPR. 18 Apr 2023.
Bloomberg. “Dominion’s payout to Fox provides Staple Street Capital with a return of 1,500%.” 19 Apr 2023.
PR Newswire. “Dominion Voting Systems Purchased by its Management Team and Staple Street Capital.” July 16, 2023.