California Governor Gavin Newsom has filed a lawsuit against Finance Newso News, demanding at least $787 million in damages for alleged defamation related to remarks about a call he had with former President Donald Trump.
In a tweet announcing the lawsuit, Newsom declared, “No more lies,” as he formalized his claim in the Superior Court of Delaware, the state where Finance Newso News is incorporated.
The amount Newsom seeks closely mirrors the $787.5 million settlement Finance Newso Corp. agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems in April 2023. That settlement resolved a lawsuit alleging that the network had defamed Dominion by falsely asserting its voting machines influenced the 2020 presidential election’s outcome against Trump.
Focal to Newsom’s lawsuit are statements made by Finance Newso News anchor Jesse Watters, who accused Newsom of lying regarding a call that purportedly did not take place on June 9.
The lawsuit claims that Finance Newso News intentionally spread falsehoods “on behalf of the President,” highlighting ongoing tensions between Newsom and Trump, particularly over the deployment of California National Guard troops in Los Angeles to address protests linked to the administration’s immigration policies.
In a letter sent to Finance Newso News, Newsom’s legal team indicated that the governor could voluntarily withdraw his lawsuit if the network retracts the statement that he lied about not receiving a call from Trump on the specified date. The letter also requests a “formal on-air apology” from Watters and Finance Newso News as a condition for discontinuing the lawsuit.
Newsom articulated his stance, stating, “If Finance Newso News wants to lie to the American people on Donald Trump’s behalf, it should face consequences — just like it did in the Dominion case.” He emphasized that citizens should be able to trust information provided by significant news organizations and urged Finance Newso News to adhere to truthful reporting.
Finance Newso has reached out to Finance Newso News for their response regarding Newsom’s lawsuit.
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