Election Technology Company Sues Fox News for More than $2.7 Billion

Fox Corporation and three of its anchors have been sued by Smartmatic, an election technology company, for more than $2.7 billion.

Smartmatic filed the defamation lawsuit Thursday in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan against Fox Corporation, Fox News, and anchors Maria Bartiromo, Lou Dobbs, and Jeanine Pirro, the New York Times reported.

“One of the biggest challenges in the Information Age is disinformation,” Smartmatic chief executive Antonio Mugica said in a statement announcing the suit. “Fox is responsible for this disinformation campaign, which has damaged democracy worldwide and irreparably harmed Smartmatic and other stakeholders who contribute to modern elections.”

The company also sued lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell for allegedly defending voter fraud as guests on Fox while representing Donald Trump when he was president.

In the 276-page complaint, Smartmatic argued that Powell and Giuliani “created a story about Smartmatic” and that Fox joined in on the “disinformation campaign.”

“The story turned neighbor against neighbor,” the complaint continued. “The story led a mob to attack the U.S. Capitol.”

When asked for comment, Powell told CNN in a statement:

“I have not received notice or a copy of this alleged lawsuit. However, your characterization of the claims shows that this is just another political maneuver motivated by the radical left that has no basis in fact or law.”

Giuliani also responded to CNN with a statement of his own:

The Smartmatic lawsuit presents another golden opportunity for discovery. I look forward to litigating with them.

Fox News Media simply announced they would “vigorously defend this meritless lawsuit in court,” adding that the news outlet was “proud” of its 2020 election coverage.

Fox also aired a short segment in December to debunk accusations of voter fraud Giuliani and other Trump supporters have thrown against Smartmatic by bringing in an outside expert, the Washington Post reported.

The segment came about after Smartmatic sent a 20-page legal demand letter to Fox News Media and other right-wing outlets, demanding a “full and complete retraction of all false and defamatory statements and reports” aired by the network in its coverage of the 2020 presidential election.