How do you solve problems like Maria Bartiromo?
A Fox News executive may be asking that question herself as she becomes a key figure in Dominion Voting Systems’ $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against the conservative news network.
In released court documents and testimony related to the case, Bartiromo was constantly cited for allowing former President Trump to make false claims about the 2020 election fraud broadcast on networks in an attempt to stop voters. Enraged audience not to abandon the network.
Falsehoods such as the claim that a Denver-based voting machine manufacturer was set up in Venezuela to help Hugo Chávez, and that vote-management company software to support President Biden were no problem on the network in the weeks following the election. despite evidence to the contrary.
Court testimony showed that in the days leading up to and after the 2020 election, colleagues and executives questioned Bartiromo’s online activities and expressed concern that she was influenced by right-wing conspiracy theorists.
Bartiromo’s statement, appearing in court filings released Tuesday, said she was “depressed” by the outcome of President Biden’s election win and hoped fraud was revealed that would reverse the outcome.
“I want to see the massive scam uncovered. Will (Trump) be able to turn this around. I told my team that we weren’t allowed to say pre-select. not in script Not in the on-air banner Until this moves through the courts,” Bartiromo said in a message to disgraced Trump adviser Steve Bannon. He was convicted in July of contempt for defying a congressional subpoena from a House committee investigating the Jan. 6 riots at the US Capitol.
“You are our fighter. Enough with the tragedy We want you,” Bannon replied, then urged Bartiromo to run for Charles E. Schumer of New York for the U.S. Senate.
On November 5, 2020, two days after the election, Washington anchor Bret Baier warned Jay Wallace, curator of news aggregators at Fox News, that Bartiromo was pushing back false claims about the election.
Gary Schreier, a producer who has worked with Bartiromo since 2012, told his boss Bartiromo was influenced by some of Trump’s most extreme supporters.
“The problem is she has a conspiracy theorist (GOP) in her ear. And they use her as a message sometimes,” Schreier said in a message to Fox Business Network administrator Lauren Petterson.
That same day, Wallace was informed that Bartiromo was sharing conspiracy theories about Dominion on the right-wing social media site Parler, to which he replied: “I don’t know why you invited this.”
When Schreier flagged Bartiromo’s tweets supporting Petterson’s conspiracy theory, she suggested that Bartiromo should “quit using social (media) together.” Schreier agreed, noting that Bartiromo was “saying(ing) crazy s— t” online
In his testimony, Schreier said his comments stemmed from concerns that Bartiromo strayed too far from financial news. And her coverage of divisive political issues will scare advertisers away from her program.
Dominion asserted that Fox News acted with malice and reckless disregard for the truth when it presented the allegations against the company. It stirred up emotions that led to Trump supporters storming Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Fox News maintains that reporting and commentary are protected by the 1st Amendment because allegations put forward by the sitting president are newsworthy. Even if it’s false
Bartiromo is one of four Fox News and Fox Business Network personalities referenced in the lawsuit, along with Sean Hannity, Jeanine Pirro and Lou Dobbs, who are no longer part of the company. The president of Fox Corp. admitted under oath that they all supported false claims about the 2020 election that he believed were fair.
But the difference with Bartiromo is that she identifies as a newscaster. As she stated in her testimony
Hannity, Dobbs and Pirro were considered commentators. And Fox News executives testified that they did not meet the same journalistic standards as direct news programming.
Schreier said comment shows on Fox News had no obligation to correct the lies identified in their shows. Another Fox News executive, David Clark, told the court that prime-time star Hannity “was unaware of the facts.” The network’s longest-running Times is not a reliable news source.
Bartiromo, 55, arrived at Fox News with a stellar background as a tireless financial reporter who forged more than 20 years at CNBC. was the first woman to report from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. She joined Fox News in 2013 with a salary of $5 million a year.
Bartiromo airs 15 ½ hours a week on Fox Business Network as host of “Mornings with Maria,” and has the highest-rated Sunday morning show on Fox News, “Sunday Morning Futures.”
Most of the news anchors talk to the CEO on her business show. But became more political after moving to Fox News, her conservative views becoming more apparent. and it is said that she was loved by Murdoch.
Bartiromo did not respond to a request for comment.
Ahead of Tuesday’s court hearing, attorneys for Fox News presented new emails aimed at showing that Bartiromo had not acted with malice. Because she didn’t know if the allegations made by lawyers Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani on Fox News were true or false. and she had doubts about Legitimacy of the 2020 Election
Court documents presented by Fox News include comments in a December 2020 email by Nicole Beckman, then a colleague at Dominion’s public relations firm Hamilton Place Strategies. There will be serious grounds for defamation. Because she was always careful whether referring to other people. (‘Reports released say…’) or did not mention Dominion specifically, she allowed her guests to defame.”
Bartiromo testified that no one in the administration did anything to stop her or force her to edit the record, while Bartiromo devoted her time to it. Senior executives, journalists and even Fox News stars such as Tucker Carlson and Dana Perino have all personally said Trump’s claims were hoaxes and questioned Powell and Giuliani’s mental health.
Carlson, Fox News’ most popular and outspoken conservative torchbearer, is especially keen to move on from Trump. By saying in one of the messages that “I absolutely hate him.”
Most of the layoff testimony involving Bartiromo focused on appearances by Powell and Giuliani, both of whom took the stage in front of a weekly “Sunday Morning Futures” audience of nearly 2 million. They have expanded on Trump’s claim of election misrepresentation.
Bartiromo has also made misstatements, such as making repeated inaccurate claims that Dominion is owned by voting software company Smartmatic, which is suing Fox News and other conservative networks. for defamation
In her testimony, Bartiromo maintained that she still did not know if the many accusations against Dominion on her performance were true or false.
She said she repeatedly asked Powell and Giuliani when they would provide evidence to back up their claims. and stop wearing after they are empty.
But several Fox News executives in their testimony agreed with Dominion’s assertion that Bartiromo did not challenge any of Powell’s false statements when she appeared on “Sunday Morning Futures.” provided any evidence to counter Powell’s claims, even if she received accurate information from Dominion and other Fox News reporters.
Bartiromo’s senior booking producer, Abby Grossberg, was asked in court if she believed “Sunday Morning Futures” had a duty to correct false information presented by the guest. Her answer was “no,” which was a surprising acceptance. Since Sunday morning political programs are traditionally expected, government officials are expected to be held accountable.
Bartiromo also testified that she did not feel the need to independently investigate the claims of her guests before taking them.
While real-time guest editing can be challenging, Dominion argued that Fox News could correct misinformation for rebroadcasts. But the repeat program doesn’t change.
On Tuesday, Fox News’ attorneys tried to downplay evidence against the network and Bartiromo in a court email between the news anchor and Tony Fratto, another Hamilton Place Strategies executive and former spokesperson for the George W. Bush administration.
Fratto, who had a good relationship with Bartiromo, sent a message after she interviewed Giuliani.
“What Rudy says is provably false, and it’s the same for Sidney Powell: conspiracy in the tin hat,” Fratto said. I’m not saying you should ignore the story. But Rudy is building things up. come up as he goes on.”
An e-mail response from Bartiromo asks, “Are you saying I shouldn’t hide the presidency running for the presidential election? Should I blow it off and go with the rest of the media . . . ?”
“I’m not saying you should ignore this story . . .,” Fratto said.
Bartiromo offers Dominion’s top executive to join her show. And read the full length statement from the company on her November 20, 2020.
Fratto’s testimony said his attempts to get Bartiromo to stop booking Giuliani and Powell had no effect.
He later wrote to Wallace hoping to embarrass the network by comparing it to its upstart rival Newsmax.
The court brief from Fox News said that having someone within the organization deny Trump’s claims does not mean those who believe they have acted with malice by presenting it.
“It is no surprise that someone in the newsroom However, some of these people (who have mixed political views, one would expect) will not believe the allegations and hope that they will eventually be proven false. while others will open up in the hope that they will prove the truth.”
