Fox News is trying to fight off the defamation lawsuit from Smartmatic by challenging the voting machine company’s damages claim.
The conservative-leaning news channel is being sued by Smartmatic for $2.7 billion. The suit claims former President Trump’s lawyers falsely accused the company of manipulating vote counts in the 2020 presidential election, and that Fox News and three of its on-air hosts — Maria Bartiromo, Lou Dobbs and Jeanine Pirro — presented the disinformation on their programs.
Fox News — which admitted it aired false statements in its coverage when it settled a similar suit from Dominion Voting Systems — has said the damages being sought by London-based Smartmatic are not reflective of the company’s value and aimed at chilling the conservative network’s free speech rights.
New York Supreme Court Judge David B. Cohen ruled Wednesday that Fox News’ counterclaim can go forward. Smartmatic had attempted to get the counterclaim dismissed.
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An attorney for Smartmatic could not be reached for comment. A representative for Fox News declined comment.
Feb. 18, 2023
Cohen also wrote that the settled defamation case filed by Dominion Voting Systems against Fox News cannot be the basis of a malice claim because the trial did not go forward.
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