Lachlan Murdoch, the CEO and co-executive chairman of Fox Corp, has left Los Angeles for Sydney at a time when Fox News is reckoning with major lawsuits and questions over its direction.
"Fox sold a false story of election fraud in order to serve its own commercial purposes, severely injuring Dominion in the process," the voting machine company's lawsuit said.
Smartmatic, an election technology company, sued the network for its "disinformation campaign" waged by people unhappy with President Biden's election victory.
Many Fox News hosts, commentators and guests helped stoke the pro-Trump protests that became an assault on Congress. Among those influenced was Ashli Babbitt, who died while storming the Capitol.
Since Election Day, President Trump has attacked Fox News repeatedly, particularly its newsroom. Now comes chatter from Washington that he wants to start up his own media outfit to take on Fox.
Rupert Murdoch struck an alliance with President Trump early on and Fox News has bolstered his presidency. As Joe Biden nears victory, Fox is stepping warily to avoid alienating Trump supporters.
President Trump has turned to conservative media and stars for help in his fight to win reelection. They've rewarded him by promoting his questionable claims about the Bidens and the coronavirus.
A top writer for Fox News' Tucker Carlson resigns after CNN revealed his racist and sexist posts, reviving criticism of Carlson's commentaries. Carlson is set to address the controversy Monday.