Fox Business pulls highest-rated show after network sued for disinformation

New York, February 7 (RHC)-- Fox Business has canceled Lou Dobbs Tonight, its highest-rated show hosted by the staunch ally of right-wing, former President Donald Trump, after Fox News and its star anchors were hit with a massive $2.7 billion lawsuit for spreading "disinformation."

"Lou Dobbs Tonight" is off the air effective immediately, a Fox spokesperson said.  Dobbs will be replaced by an interim show starting Monday.  Dobbs became known at Fox Business for promoting Trump, who also regularly thanked the veteran news anchor in return.

Dobbs is one of three hosts named by Smartmatic, an election technology company, in a defamation case against Fox News.  The Los Angeles Times, which first reported on the lawsuit, said Dobbs “remains under contract at Fox News but he will in all likelihood not appear on the company's networks again.”

The lawsuit alleges that the Fox Corp. had engaged in a disinformation campaign that had a devastating impact on Smartmatic's ability to conduct business in the United States and around the world.

Maria Bartiromo and Jeanine Pirro were the other star anchors named in the court documents. The company is also suing Trump’s lawyers and allies Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell.

Smartmatic claims Giuliani and Powell, who regularly appeared on Fox News and Fox Business, “created a story about Smartmatic” that has “decimated” the company.  The lawsuit also alleges that “Fox joined the conspiracy to defame and disparage Smartmatic and its election technology and software.”

The “story” Smartmatic is referring to is the claim by Trump and his allies that the November election was rigged against the former president and that Smartmatic participated in a fraudulent election.  Smartmatic accused Fox of making “100 false statements and implications” on air and that has damaged its business and future prospects.

Fox anchors, Dobbs in particular, repeatedly gave credence to Trump’s claims that the election was stolen.  The veteran anchor even directed his anger towards those congressional Republicans who condemned Trump for encouraging his far-right supporters to assault the U.S. Capital on January 6, endangering lawmakers who had gathered to certify the electoral vote results.