A Nevada probate commissioner has ruled against Rupert Murdoch’s attempt to alter his inviolable family trust to give his oldest son Lachlan Murdoch control of his media empire, in an effort to preserve Fox News’ conservative slant.
According to a sealed document obtained by The New York Times, Murdoch’s family trust gives each of his four children equal control over the company after his death — which worried Murdoch, as two of his children are known to have less conservative views.
Murdoch, 93, and Lachlan sought to amend the trust by consolidating Lachlan’s leadership over the company. Fox News and News Corp have been under Lachlan's leadership since his father stepped down last year.
Murdoch called upon a provision that allowed him to make changes to the trust if it were in the best interest of its beneficiaries, arguing there may be financial repercussions should Fox News shift away from conservatism.
Murdoch and Lachlan only notified the other Murdoch children— James, Elisabeth and Prudence — of the proposal just days before the trust’s representatives were scheduled to vote.
Edmund J. Gorman Jr., the commissioner who ruled against the change, wrote in his 96-page opinion that Murdoch “demonstrated a dishonesty of purpose and motive.”
“The effort was an attempt to stack the deck in Lachlan Murdoch’s favor after Rupert Murdoch’s passing so that his succession would be immutable,” Gorman wrote, calling Murdoch’s actions a “carefully crafted charade.”
A lawyer for Murdoch told The New York Times that Murdoch and Lachlan were disappointed in the ruling and intended to appeal. A spokesperson for James, Elisabeth and Prudence told The Associated Press they welcome the ruling and hope that their family can “move beyond this litigation to focus on strengthening and rebuilding relationships among all family members.”
