Jul 11, 2022 - Politics & Policy

Bill Barr subpoenaed in Dominion's defamation suit against Fox News

Shawna Chen

Photo of Bill Barr speaking against the backdrop of the DOJ seal — Then-Attorney General William Barr speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 21, 2020. Photo: Michael Reynolds/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Former Attorney General Bill Barr has been subpoenaed as part of Dominion Voting Systems' defamation lawsuit against Fox News.

Why it matters: Dominion is seeking $1.6 billion in damages against Fox News, arguing that the network knowingly spread misinformation about the company's role in nonexistent voter fraud.

Barr, who resigned in December 2020, has said that former President Trump's false claims about the 2020 election fueled his decision to cut ties.
At the Jan. 6 committee's first prime-time hearing, the panel aired a closed-door video of Barr's deposition in which he said, "I told the president it was bull***t. I didn't want to be a part of it."

What they're saying: "We are confident we will prevail as freedom of the press is foundational to our democracy and must be protected, in addition to the damages claims being outrageous, unsupported and not rooted in sound financial analysis, serving as nothing more than a flagrant attempt to deter our journalists from doing their jobs," Fox News Media said Monday in a statement to Axios.

Worth noting: Dominion has also filed to subpoena Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who recently testified during a Jan. 6 committee hearing about how Trump pushed him to find cases of fraud despite lack of evidence.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with a statement from Fox News Media.

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Bill Barr subpoenaed in Dominion's defamation suit against Fox News

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