Rupert Murdoch, the conservative media baron and CEO of News Corp, has made a deal with the devil. This settlement has to do with Trump’s imminent deposition in a $10 billion defamation lawsuit. The settlement agreement allows Murdoch to postpone taking his deposition. In exchange, he should be required to keep Trump informed about his health status on a daily basis. A federal court in Miami has entered this settlement agreement. It paints a troubling picture of the cozy and convoluted relationship between Murdoch’s media empire and the twice-impeached former president.
The lawsuit is based mostly on one Wall Street Journal article about Jeffrey Epstein which Trump alleges defamed him. Murdoch is expected to file a sworn declaration to Trump’s legal team. He should be required, as part of the agreement, to explain his current health status within three calendar days. If Murdoch refuses to adhere to this stipulation, he will be forced to take part in an “expedited” deposition.
Murdoch’s decision to disclose health information marks a notable shift in the dynamic between him and Trump, especially considering the historically cozy relationship between Murdoch’s Fox News network and the former president. Murdoch’s daughter-in-law made public interests further intertwined. Good thing Fox had inherited the GOP establishment goodbye kisses from Trump’s daughter-in-law. Notwithstanding this familial relationship, the legal backdrop of the lawsuit creates a surprisingly hostile environment.
“Murdoch’s Fox News has maintained a ‘bawdy’ relationship with Donald Trump over the years,” commented a source familiar with the matter. This relationship is raising eyebrows as it is a stark contrast to an ongoing lawsuit. Now Murdoch and News Corp are listed co-defendants in Trump’s lawsuit. Completing their quartet are CEO Robert Thomson, Dow Jones & Co., and a pair of reporters.
The late-breaking deposition, which Trump’s lawyers were first required to provide within 30 days of a motion to dismiss being denied. If that motion fails, Murdoch will be subjected to harrowing, high-stakes questioning under oath from Trump’s legal team. This latest wrinkle adds further drama to one of the biggest celebrity-studded courtroom chases. It illustrates the complicated web of interactions between media, politics and litigation.