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Smartmatic, the company behind some of the voting systems in the United States, has officially issued subpoenas to four Fox Corp. board members as part of its ongoing lawsuit against Fox News for its 2020 election coverage.
In recent motions filed with the Supreme Court of New York, Smartmatic requested documents from board members Anne Dias, Charles Carey, Roland Hernandez, and Jacques Nasser. According to Smartmatic’s lawyers, this move seeks to determine the extent of their involvement in disseminating false information about the company’s voting software. Lawyers for Smartmatic added, “Accountability and responsibility do not stop with Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch,” noting that the board’s oversight of Fox News is also under scrutiny.
Smartmatic’s legal filings allege that the board members were aware of the network’s actions, participated in relevant communications, and attended meetings concerning the controversial broadcasts. The subpoenas follow a ruling by Judge Cohen earlier this year, allowing Smartmatic to pursue its case against Fox Corporation as well as Fox News.
Fox Responds:
In a statement, Fox News said “We will be ready to defend this case surrounding extremely newsworthy events when it goes to trial, likely in 2025. As a report prepared by our financial expert shows, Smartmatic’s damages claims are implausible, disconnected from reality, and on their face intended to chill First Amendment freedoms.”
Some background:
Following the 2020 election, Smartmatic sued Fox for over $2 billion, accusing the network of deliberately broadcasting false claims about its software, which were promoted by allies of former President Trump. Fox has defended itself, arguing that the allegations were newsworthy and that Smartmatic is exaggerating its financial losses. Previously, Fox News settled with Dominion Voting Systems for $787 million over similar claims regarding the 2020 election.
