Fox Corp. CEO Lachlan Murdoch is suing Australian media outlet Crikey for defamation in connection to an opinion column that suggested that the Murdoch family played a role in the January 6 Capitol riots.
Murdoch, the son of Rupert Murdoch, filed a statement of claim against Crikey parent company Private Media on Tuesday in Australia. Murdoch attorney John Churchill argues that Crikey’s story promotes “scandalous allegations of criminal conduct and conspiracy” and assertions that are “false and calculated to harm Mr. Murdoch,” per The New York Times.
Australia recently imposed new defamation standards that require plaintiffs to prove a publication caused “serious harm” to their reputations while defendants can argue the published pieces are protected by public interest.