PORTLAND, OR -- Oregon’s Attorney General has launched an investigation into whether FOX News management and its board of directors failed to stop on-air talent from making knowingly false claims that two voting systems rigged the 2020 presidential election. 

Assistant A.G. and lead investigator Brian DeHaan says the agency is acting on behalf of the Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund, which is a FOX News shareholder, "And we’ve alleged - or will allege in an eventual lawsuit, depending on the results of our investigation - that the board of directors and senior management failed to prevent on-air talent at FOX News from engaging in a series of defamatory falsehoods." He says thos lies resulted, "In grievous company harm, in the form of the $780 million defamation settlement it recently entered into with Dominion."

As an investor, DeHaan says the Retirement Fund can ask a court to hold the network accountable for its financial actions. "The value that we’re trying to return is value to the company, itself, in which we are investors. We would be indirect beneficiaries, but what we’re really trying to do is remedy harm to the company, caused by its senior management and board of directors."

He says these types of investigations and resulting shareholder lawsuits aren't uncommon. However, the high-profile nature of the company and the work already done, is unique. "This is an unusual case in that a lot of the facts that would make up the core of an eventual shareholder derivative suit have already been surfaced in the Dominion litigation. So, you can expect that the investigation on this one will go quicker than most."

Other investors have also filed complaints and there is already an open proceeding in Delaware.