Ari Melber has been all over the Dominion defamation lawsuit against Fox News. Melber often emphasizes that his coverage is not about ideology or squelching anyone’s 1st amendment rights. That was front and center with his coverage of the new court filings that show Rupert Murdoch the businessman vs what people might see when he isn’t under oath.

Melber shows how Murdoch and Fox News were trying to keep ratings up before the January 6th insurrection. From where Melber sits after reading Murdoch’s sworn testimony, the media mogul was fine to allow some of his hosts run with stories about the election and Dominion’s voting systems that they knew to be false. Furthermore, he also had no issue in continuing election denier Mike Lindell’s “My Pillow” ads and appearances on Fox programs because, as Murdoch put it, “it is not red or blue, it is  green.” Lindell still pushes lies about Dominion to this day.

Melber pointed out that “money as a motivator” does not exonerate someone for defamation and pushing lies.

Some other key revelations show that Murdoch knew that Rudy Giuliani and other Fox guests were  promoting nonsense, and could have stopped him — but “chose not to.”

After Melber piles up a bunch of evidence he informs his audience of something that matters. That Rupert Murdoch is a shrewd businessman and “betting against him” doesn’t often work out well.

Rupert Murdoch seems willing to throw some of his hosts and executives “under the bus” to save his media empire, according to Melber. Murdoch himself hinted at this in his testimony, telling prosecutors that the ones who knowingly spread lies should be reprimanded of “gotten rid of.”

Ari Melber’s opening segment ends with an interview with two legal experts, including Will Sommer, who pointed out what he found the most interesting tidbit in the new filings. That was an email where Murdoch states “let’s just focus on electing Republican Senators from Georgia” referring to the special election that was held after the 2020 general election where Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump. That email, to Sommers, reads like an open admission that Fox is in fact basically and blatantly a “state TV” arm of the Republican Party after Trump was elected in 2016.

This case is set to go to trial this April unless Murdoch settles the case or the judge grants a summary judgement for Dominion.

A summary judgement is defined as a judgment entered by a court for one party and against another party without a full trial.

In civil cases, either party may make a pre-trial motion for summary judgment.

Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure governs summary judgment for federal courts. Under Rule 56, in order to succeed in a motion for summary judgment, a movant must show 1) that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact, and 2) that the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.

“Material fact” refers to any facts that could allow a fact-finder to decide against the movant.

Many states have similar pre-trial motions.

Judges may grant partial summary judgment. For example, a judge might rule on some factual issues, but leave others for trial. Alternately, a judge might grant summary judgment regarding liability, but still hold a trial to determine damages.