The Murdoch family waged a secret court battle over succession. A voting machine company is trying to pry the case open
Source: CNN Business
Published 2:07 PM EST, Fri December 27, 2024
Washington CNN — Smartmatic, the voting technology company suing Fox News over its promotion of 2020 election lies, is trying to obtain evidence from the secret court battle between Rupert Murdoch and his children over the future of his right-wing media empire. For the first time, Smartmatic has gone directly to the probate court in Nevada and asked a commissioner to turn over some of the secret documents in that case, a source told CNN.
The voting technology company wants to examine sealed documents from the family fight that it thinks will bolster its defamation lawsuit against Fox, according to a source familiar with recent filings in the Murdoch trust case. The source said these documents could include transcripts of depositions or trial testimony from media mogul Rupert Murdoch and his and family members, who control Fox’s parent company. After Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, many of Fox News’ on-air hosts and guests falsely accused Smartmatic of rigging the results to help elect Joe Biden.
Those lies are at the heart of Smartmatic’s massive defamation suit against Fox News and its parent company, Fox Corporation. The Fox entities vehemently deny that they defamed anyone. The Murdoch family has battled over succession in compete secrecy in a Reno court. Earlier this month, a probate commissioner rejected an attempt by Murdoch, 93, to retool the irrevocable family trust so his most conservative son, Lachlan, could singularly lead Fox Corporation after his death, instead of sharing power with his three siblings as planned.
The source said Smartmatic’s filings say testimony from the Nevada case might contradict past assertions in the 2020 election litigation, where Fox claimed control of the parent company doesn’t impact the editorial direction of Fox News. In the Nevada case, Rupert has argued that Lachlan must succeed him in order to maintain his outlet’s right-wing political bent. On the public docket in Nevada, there are indications that an outside party filed a motion last week. The records are sealed and CNN has not obtained Smartmatic’s filing.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/27/media/smartmatic-fox-murdoch-family-succession-trust/index.html
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I blame Uncle Ruppie for Darn Old Trumpf, MAGA, discontent and the out and out divisiveness in the country.
Rupert Murdoch; creator of THE DIVIDED STATES OF AMERICA! 
