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Fox News says Smartmatic was not harmed by its 2020 election reporting

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On Tuesday, Fox News submitted a request for a summary judgment, countering Smartmatic’s claim of $2.7 billion in damages in their defamation lawsuit. The right-wing news network is challenging this demand.

In 2023, Fox News agreed to pay $787.5 million as part of a defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems, stemming from their coverage of President Trump’s unfounded allegations about election fraud in 2020. However, it’s worth noting that Smartmatic is not the same company as Dominion, according to Fox News’ legal representatives.

In simpler terms, according to a document submitted by Fox News to the New York Supreme Court, their reporting on Donald Trump’s unsubstantiated claims about election fraud did not negatively impact Smartmatic’s business operations.

In response to allegations made by Fox News, Smartmatic – a company headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, with operations spanning over 40 countries – claimed that their unwarranted conduct led to the loss of jobs for approximately 100 employees and a substantial decrease in the company’s total assets value, estimated at billions of dollars. The defamation lawsuit was initiated by Smartmatic in the year 2021.

However, Fox News contended that Smartmatic carried a tarnished image due to its long-term association with a “questionable government in Venezuela” and its struggles to find governments willing to collaborate with it.

As a film critic penning my thoughts, I’d rephrase it like this: “Contrary to Smartmatic’s assertions of missed contract chances, there is no tangible proof that Fox News’s coverage in any way dissuaded a former, current or prospective client from engaging in business with them.

Hollywood Inc.

The network and the firm manufacturing voting machines quietly resolved a secret agreement, right when the process for selecting jurors was about to start for the anticipated court case.

Eric Connolly, an attorney representing Smartmatic, called Fox’s argument “a deflection.”

In a statement, Connolly stated that this is precisely the sort of strategy one would anticipate from an abuser. Instead of acknowledging their wrongdoings, they prefer to shift the blame onto the victim. Their objective here seems to be to divert attention away from the primary issue: they slandered Smartmatic and inflicted substantial damage upon it.

In the final quarter of 2020, I found myself regularly hearing about Smartmatic as I watched Trump’s legal team members Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell make appearances on Fox News and Fox Business Network shows. These two prominent figures were vocal proponents of Trump’s baseless assertion that the voting machines were manipulated to ensure Joe Biden emerged victorious in the election.

During Fox News broadcasts, Smartmatic was frequently mentioned, but it played a minimal role in the 2020 elections. The Smartmatic equipment was utilized only in Los Angeles County and not in any of the decisive swing states. This information about their limited involvement was shared with Fox News prior to the election.

Fox News maintained that reporting on statements made by a current president and his legal team was relevant and fell under the protection of the 1st Amendment. Numerous falsehoods from this source were emphasized on their shows, particularly by commentators like Jeanine Pirro and Maria Bartiromo, as well as through social media platforms.

According to Smartmatic’s argument, Fox News personnel, which includes journalists, hosts, executives like Rupert Murdoch, admitted in private conversations and court hearings that they were aware Trump’s allegations were untrue. Despite this knowledge, they chose to broadcast them further, presumably to keep their conservative audience satisfied. This action, Smartmatic claims, demonstrated a lack of concern for the truth.

According to Smartmatic’s court filing, they found no validity in the allegations through their own investigation, and they regarded individuals discussing the claim on their programs as untrustworthy or eccentric.

In my perspective, should this case proceed to trial, the defense plans to deluge the proceedings with evidence detailing Smartmatic’s various legal issues spanning multiple years.

In August, Roger Piñate, President of Smartmatic, along with two other employees, were charged by the U.S. Department of Justice for alleged acts of illegally providing payments to a previous elections commissioner in the Philippines. The purpose was to secure the use of their voting machines and services during the 2016 Philippine election.

Smartmatic has said that the case had nothing to do with voter fraud.

Previously this year, Smartmatic successfully resolved a libel case against conservative news channel Newsmax, who had spread Trump’s inaccuracies and continued to do so even after it was clear that Biden had been elected as President over a month before they officially acknowledged it.

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2025-05-01 01:31

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