Fox News is in big trouble. The right-wing media giant is facing a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems, a company that makes election equipment and software.

Dominion claims that Fox News broadcast numerous false statements about its role in the 2020 presidential election, spreading baseless conspiracy theories that damaged its reputation and business. Fox News has tried to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that it was merely covering the news and expressing opinions protected by the First Amendment. But a Delaware judge has rejected most of Fox's arguments and ruled that the case should go to trial.

a scathing 81-page ruling, Judge Eric Davis said that Dominion had proven that Fox News aired a series of false claims about the company, such as that it was controlled by Venezuela and that it manipulated votes to favor Joe Biden over Donald Trump. The judge said that the evidence was "CRYSTAL clear" that none of these statements were true.

However, the judge also said that it was not clear whether Fox News acted with "actual malice" by knowingly spreading false information or recklessly disregarding the truth. The judge said that this was a question for a jury to decide, based on depositions, internal emails and text messages from Fox News employees and executives. The ruling is a major setback for Fox News, which has already suffered reputational and financial losses from its coverage of the 2020 election.

Fox News has also been exposed by its own billionaire owner, Rupert Murdoch, who admitted in a deposition that some of his top hosts were pushing election lies to his audience. According to CNN, Murdoch said that he was "disappointed" by some of his talent and that he tried to persuade them to stop spreading misinformation. Fox News has vowed to continue fighting the lawsuit and defending its First Amendment rights. Fox News released this statement to FTVLive, “This case is and always has been about the First Amendment protections of the media’s absolute right to cover the news. FOX will continue to fiercely advocate for the rights of free speech and a free press as we move into the next phase of these proceedings.”

But will Fox have a hard time convincing a jury that it was acting as a responsible news organization when it amplified baseless claims of voter fraud that undermined American democracy. The trial is expected to begin on April 17. It will be a high-stakes showdown between two powerful entities: Fox News, the most-watched cable news network in the country, and Dominion Voting Systems, one of the largest providers of election technology in the world.