Hunter Biden Drops Lawsuit Against Fox as Network Wins Separate Court Battle
Hunter Biden Drops Lawsuit Against Fox as Network Wins Separate Court Battle
In the past 24 hours, Fox News has experienced a series of legal victories.
Shortly after President Biden announced on Sunday that he would not seek re-election in 2024, Hunter Biden dropped his lawsuit against Fox News. The lawsuit was over Fox airing explicit images from his personal laptop.
On Monday, a federal judge dismissed a defamation case filed by a former Biden administration official. The judge ruled that Nina Jankowicz’s legal claims involved statements that were generally accurate or were opinions that could not be disproven.
"This was a politically motivated lawsuit aimed at silencing free speech and we are pleased with the court's decision to protect the First Amendment,” a Fox News spokesperson said. Jankowicz's attorneys plan to appeal the decision.
In Hunter Biden’s case, the explicit images were part of a six-part series on Fox Nation in 2022, which staged a mock trial over his foreign business dealings. Biden recently faced felony gun charges and upcoming criminal tax charges in September.
The Fox Nation series was removed after Hunter Biden threatened to sue. The images depicted him using crack cocaine and engaging with prostitutes. Despite removing the series, Fox defended its coverage, highlighting Hunter Biden's public figure status and criminal history.
“Consistent with the First Amendment, Fox News has accurately covered the newsworthy events of Mr. Biden’s own making,” Fox stated when the lawsuit was filed. Biden’s attorney did not comment.
Biden had a challenging defamation claim due to his public prominence and his legal troubles. Instead, he sued under New York’s revenge porn laws, which make it illegal to distribute explicit images without consent.
In April, Biden’s attorneys pressured Fox to retract unsubstantiated allegations of him funneling bribes to his father. A key source of these claims, Alexander Smirnov, admitted involvement with Russian intelligence and faces charges for lying to the FBI.
President Biden announced his decision not to run in 2024 on Sunday, and Hunter Biden praised his father’s support. Hours later, Hunter withdrew his lawsuit.
In Jankowicz's case, U.S. District Court Judge Colm F. Connolly dismissed her defamation lawsuit. Jankowicz, appointed to lead the Disinformation Governance Board within the Department of Homeland Security, resigned after facing threats and misinformation about her role.
Jankowicz claimed Fox falsely portrayed her intentions and job status. However, Judge Connolly found several statements by Fox to be true or non-defamatory. Fox celebrated the decision.
Fox has faced numerous legal challenges, including a $787.5 million settlement over false election claims and a multi-billion dollar lawsuit from another voting tech company. In 2020, Fox also settled with the parents of Seth Rich over retracted reporting.
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