Rolling Stone reports that Fox News just fired its entire investigative unit. 

Rolling Stone appears to have gotten this information from unidentified Fox employees and insiders.

The question is whether Rolling Stone's reporting about the layoffs is true, and, if it is, the big question is "why?" - why did Fox fire these individuals?

Some are drawing a connection between the layoff and Fox's recent settlement with Dominion Voting Systems. But, at least one insider has rejected this notion.

The layoffs - did they happen?

Fox, itself, has not released a statement on the matter.

But, here's what one anonymous Fox employee told Rolling Stone:

The rank and file journalists are getting let go. Meanwhile, upper management are sitting pretty while they are the execs responsible for the Dominion debacle. We are the sacrificial lambs.

A "former Fox talent" opined that Fox is "trying to get money off the books before June 30. They have to save money because of the [Dominion] lawsuit."

The Dominion lawsuit

Fox News recently settled a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit that Dominion Voting Systems brought against the outlet. The lawsuit followed Fox's coverage of the 2020 presidential election, in which the outlet, at times, claimed that Dominion may have played some role in rigging the election against former President Donald Trump.

The final settlement price was $787.5 million.

It was roughly a week after the settlement that Fox News decided to part ways with one of its top personalities - Tucker Carlson.

Some have tried to draw a connection between the settlement and Carlson's firing. But, both Fox and Dominion have disputed any notion Carlson's firing was a condition of the settlement. Now, some are attempting to draw a connection between the Dominion lawsuit and the firing of the investigative unit.

Is there a connection?

Rolling Stone spoke with "A Fox source with knowledge of the situation" for its report. The outlet reports:

A Fox source with knowledge of the situation rejected any connection between the layoffs and the Dominion settlement. The source said some of the people within the investigative unit had been reassigned.

This appears to be one of those situations in which it is not really clear exactly what is going on at Fox. Correlation does not necessarily equal causation. But, at the same time, it does seem to be a bit too coincidental that all of this is happening after Fox settled its Dominion lawsuit.

Until Fox or some insider with knowledge of the situation clears the air, though, we are just not going to know for sure.