Smartmatic sued One America News Network and Newsmax for defamation over claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election regarding its voting systems.
Lawyers for the voting technology company, which filed the lawsuits Wednesday, claimed the right-leaning media companies knowingly reported inaccurate and false information about Smartmatic, which included the claim that the company helped skew the election in favor of President Joe Biden.
The lawsuits list Newsmax Media Inc. and OANN’s parent company, Herring Networks, as defendants, and seek unspecified damages to be determined at trial.
“Despite claims to provide viewers with honest, unbiased reporting, these outlets victimized Smartmatic by spreading false information about the company following last year’s election, all in their efforts to increase viewership and revenue,” an attorney representing Smartmatic said in a statement obtained by CNN Business.
SMARTMATIC FILES $2.7B LAWSUIT AGAINST FOX NEWS, GIULIANI, AND POWELL OVER ELECTION FRAUD CLAIMS
The suit against Newsmax, filed in Delaware, claims the network attempted to take viewers away from Fox News by embracing allegations of voter fraud, despite election officials on state and federal levels insisting no proof of such widespread malfeasance.
“Newsmax’s story had three features: (a) tell its audience that it was the only source for fact-based news, (b) tell its audience that the 2020 U.S. election had been rigged and stolen from President Trump, and (c) tell its audience that anyone denying that the 2020 U.S. election had been rigged and stolen was not telling the truth,” the suit said.
Newsmax told CNN that it reported fairly on the allegations at the time by including Smartmatic’s defense against the voter fraud claims.
“While Newsmax has yet to receive or review the Smartmatic filing, Newsmax reported accurately on allegations made by well-known public figures, including the President, his advisors and members of Congress, as well as reporting on Smartmatic’s claims in its defense,” Newsmax said in a statement. “Smartmatic’s action against Newsmax today is a clear attempt to squelch the rights of a free press.”
The lawsuit against Herring Networks, filed in the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C., claimed OANN aired many segments following the election that alleged Smartmatic helped rig the election against then-President Donald Trump.
“The first time it happened could be a mistake. The second, third, fourth and fiftieth times it happened were intentional choices,” the lawsuit claimed. “OANN had every opportunity to do the right thing after the 2020 election for President and Vice President of the United States. It could have reported the truth. Instead, OANN chose to do the wrong thing every time. It reported a lie.”
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Smartmatic says Los Angeles County, California, is the only location in the United States where its software was used in the 2020 election.
The company has filed other lawsuits related to the 2020 election, including a $2.7 billion suit against Fox News, which has moved to dismiss the case, claiming it aims to “stifle debate and chill vital First Amendment activities.”
Dominion Voting Systems, a separate voting technology company, filed similar lawsuits regarding election fraud allegations.
OANN has not responded to Smartmatic’s lawsuit at the time of publishing.
