Fox demands Dominion investigate leak of Tucker Carlson videos after settlement mandated confidentiality

On Friday, Fox News requested Dominion Voting Systems to conduct an internal investigation into the leak of Tucker Carlson’s internal messages that have been appearing on social media. According to a report from Reuters, They asked for them to provide the findings by the end of Monday. 

The leaked material, including that featuring Carlson, was handed over to Dominion as part of the defamation lawsuit which claimed that Fox aired false election-rigging information in the aftermath of the 2020 elections. The two companies agreed to a settlement for $787 million on April 18th, and the material was to remain confidential as part of the agreement. 

Fox said to Dominion lawyers that the release of the material "violates the text and spirit" of the agreement, which "requires the return or destruction" of the discovery material. 

Dominion said, "nobody associated with Dominion shared these confidential materials with the press."

After the announcement that Carlson and Fox agreed to part ways, Media Matters began releasing videos and text messages of the media personality making controversial statements off air. Fox sent Media Matter a cease and desist letter in an attempt to stop more material from being published. 

"Reporting on newsworthy leaked material is a cornerstone of journalism," Media Matters President Angelo Carusone said. He added that it was "absurd" for Fox to disagree. 

In the aftermath since Carlson's ousting, Fox News ratings have dramatically fallen, as RIP Fox News was trending on Twitter.