MEDIA NEWS:

News Corp International denies it settled the Dominion defamation claim solely to prevent a potentially embarrassing and commercially disastrous appearance in the witness box by Rupert Murdoch.

The global media company’s chair, pictured recently (above) at his Montana ranch where he now spends most of his time, was due to be called as an early witness in the US court hearing the voting-machine company’s claim that it had been defamed by the Murdoch-controlled Fox News and a string of stories and commentaries suggesting its machines had helped Joe Biden “steal” the 2020 presidential election from Donald Trump.

A News Corp International spokesperson told The Bug that there was no truth to the suggestion that the last-minute A$1.2 billion settlement with Dominion Voting Services was designed to protect 92-year-old Rupert Murdoch from making a potentially personally embarrassing and commercially disastrous appearance under questioning in court.

“That’s just not true,” the spokesperson said. “The decision wasn’t about Mr Murdoch alone.

“We also decided to settle to prevent Lachlan Murdoch making a potentially embarrassing and commercially disastrous appearance in the witness box.”

The spokesperson said there would be no further comment on the matter by News Corp International.

However, soon after making the short statement the spokesperson rang The Bug to clarify his earlier comments.

“Can you take out the word ‘potentially’ for me,” he asked.