Smartmatic, a software company , is suing Fox News and former President Donald Trump's campaign for $2.7 billion in damages, alleging that the network and Trump's campaign harmed it by linking it to a conspiracy theory about massive voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election
Smartmatic CEO Antonio Mugica said in a statement on the company’s website on February 2: “Fox News is responsible for this disinformation campaign, which has destroyed democracy worldwide and irreparably harmed Smartmatic and other stakeholders contributing to modern elections.”Specifically, the charges include Fox News anchors Lou Dobbs, Maria Bartiromo and Jeanine Pirro , and Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, who are Trump’s legal associates.
On the other hand, a Fox News spokesperson stated the following: "FOX News Media is committed to providing all content in every story with detailed reporting and clear opinion. We are proud of our 2020 election coverage and will vigorously defend this unjustified lawsuit in court."
As is already known, after Joe Biden 's victory in the election was officially declared, many of Trump's associates stated that the result was rigged and that vote counting software played a key role in this . Lawyer Sidney Powell, who was a member of Trump's legal team, argued that the special machines from the companies Dominion and Smartmatic, used in the election, were the "tools" of a global conspiracy, the aim of which was to prevent the former Republican president from being re-elected.
Smartmatic largely provides its equipment and services to Europe , as well as Zambia, Argentina and the Philippines. The company’s spokeswoman, Samira Saba, said in an email that the only U.S. region that has hired Smartmatic for general election services since 2016 was Los Angeles County. So it could not have changed votes in any of the states where Trump was challenging the result.
Fox News told its millions of viewers and readers that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris did not win the election, but that Smartmatic stole it on their behalf.
Smartmatic claims that it was harmed because its customers panicked upon hearing these accusations against it. Many of its executives and employees even received death threats. The company is asking, in addition to monetary compensation, for the defendants to make full restitution by withdrawing the publications targeting it.
