‘When Money Becomes More Important’: Bill O’Reilly Bashes Fox News after Defamation Settlement

Ari Blaff
·2 min read
12

Former star Fox News anchor Bill O’Reilly bashed his former employer on Tuesday after it reached an $800 million defamation settlement with Dominion Voting Machines.

“This is what happens when money becomes more important than honest information. Since I left FNC [Fox News Channel], the template changed from ‘Fair and Balanced’ to ‘tell the audience what it wants to hear.’ And millions of Trump voters, to this day, want to believe the 2020 election was rigged,” O’Reilly wrote on his blog on Tuesday.

“That opinion can certainly be presented if you provide a counter opinion – equal time. However, once the facts begin to overwhelm any point of view, a news agency has an obligation to say that,” O’Reilly added.

“Because FNC will not be completely destroyed, the usual far-left loons are disappointed. Wounded is not enough; they want death to the conservative infidels!”

O’Reilly left Fox under inauspicious circumstances: In 2018, settlements between Fox and female employees accusing O’Reilly of sexual misconduct were publicized, revealing a pattern of misbehavior and intimidation.

At the time, there were six legal cases tied to O’Reilly’s conduct, five stemming from sexual harassment and another for verbal abuse, which amounted to nearly $45 million in settlement payments.

Dominion Voting Systems had originally demanded $1.6 billion in damages due to false claims the cable news network made following the 2020 presidential election.

“Today represents a ringing endorsement of truth and democracy,” Dominion lawyer Justin Nelson said following the announcement.

Fox also sought to present itself as happy with the result, which ultimately prevented leading news personalities from appearing and testifying in court.

“We are pleased to have reached a settlement of our dispute with Dominion Voting Systems,” Fox News said in a statement. “We acknowledge the Court’s rulings finding certain claims about Dominion to be false. This settlement reflects FOX’s continued commitment to the highest journalistic standards.”

Another voting machine company, Smartmatic, has filed a similar case against Fox and is seeking nearly $3 billion in damages.

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