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Smartmatic, on Tuesday, filed claims for defamation against Newsmax Media and One America News Network (OANN) owner Herring Networks.
Smartmatic is seeking actual and punitive damages as a result of the disinformation campaigns conducted by Newsmax and OANN against Smartmatic following the 2020 US presidential election.
The complaints were filed in the Superior Court of the State of Delaware and United States District Court for the District of Columbia for Newsmax and OANN, respectively.
Coming on the first anniversary of the 2020 US presidential election, Smartmatic is charging that the defendants knowingly and deliberately disseminated a continuous stream of falsehoods that harmed Smartmatic and negatively impacted the company’s business.
“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,” said J. Erik Connolly, attorney for Smartmatic.
Following the 2020 US presidential election, Newsmax, OANN, and others repeatedly published reports claiming that Smartmatic and its software altered votes to ensure President Biden won. They published the claims despite knowing it was not true and despite readily available and verifiable facts showing that Smartmatic provided technology and services in only Los Angeles County in the 2020 US presidential election.
“The damage to Smartmatic from this parallel universe of lies and disinformation has reverberated across the United States and in dozens of countries around the world,” said Antonio Mugica, CEO of Smartmatic, commenting on the various lawsuits the company has filed. “The global repercussions for our company cannot be overstated.”
These lawsuits follow a similar lawsuit Smartmatic filed earlier this year against Fox News, several of the network’s most prominent commentators, and pro-Trump attorneys Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, alleging the parties worked in concert to wage a “disinformation campaign” that has jeopardized its very survival.
The two networks are also facing defamation lawsuits from another voting technology company, Dominion Voting Services.
