Fox News is set to face legal action over allegations of false election fraud claims linked to the 2020 presidential election. A New York state appellate court has allowed a lawsuit from voting technology company Smartmatic to proceed, following its accusations that Fox News spread misinformation regarding the company’s role in the election.
In April 2023, Fox News reached a $787.5 million settlement related to a defamation lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems just before a trial where the network’s founder was to testify.
Recent disclosures from the pre-trial process revealed internal communications indicating that figures across the network, including producers, hosts, and executives, were aware of the factual integrity of the election results. Despite this, they permitted guests to promote baseless claims of election fraud to retain viewership from Trump supporters, with certain hosts amplifying these allegations.
As a result of a recent appellate court ruling, Smartmatic’s $2.7 billion lawsuit is now advancing. The court did dismiss some claims against Fox Corporation but determined that the core accusations could move forward.
Fox hosts, including well-known figures, engaged guests who made unfounded and exaggerated assertions about Smartmatic’s involvement in the election. Some hosts even appeared to endorse these claims directly. Following Smartmatic’s lawsuit filed in February 2021, Fox quickly removed one of its prominent hosts from the air.
Smartmatic’s lead attorney responded to the court’s decision by stating, “The New York Supreme Court has rebuffed Fox Corporation’s attempts to evade accountability for the defamation campaign it orchestrated against Smartmatic.” The company seeks to hold Fox News accountable in court for several billion in damages.
Smartmatic emphasizes that its technology was utilized solely in Los Angeles County during the 2020 election, in contrast to Dominion, whose voting machines were deployed in multiple states. Fox News has raised questions regarding the legitimacy of Smartmatic and the contracts it claims to have lost due to defamation.
A spokesperson for Fox News stated that the network is prepared to defend itself in court, suggesting that Smartmatic’s claims lack foundation and are intended to suppress Free Speech rights. In previous cases, including the Dominion lawsuit, Fox has argued that its coverage simply reflected newsworthy allegations from significant public figures.
Although Fox has expressed intentions to contest the claims made by Smartmatic, it follows a pattern of previous settlements prior to trial, reflecting a strategic response to ongoing legal challenges.
