Thursday marked the conclusion of a defamation lawsuit between Smartmatic, an electronic voting machine manufacturer, and conservative news source Newsmax. Smartmatic had accused Newsmax of airing unfounded allegations of electoral tampering in connection with the 2020 Presidential election, allegations that were championed by supporters of President Donald Trump.
Smartmatic contended that hosts and guests on Newsmax programs during November and December 2020 unlawfully propagated false statements. It was suggested that Smartmatic had been instrumental in distorting the election result, ostensibly through manipulating their software to alter vote counts.
Newsmax’s defense was centered around its right to inform their viewers about noteworthy accusations brought forward by high-profile figures, including Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney and the former mayor of New York City, as well as Sidney Powell, a respected conservative attorney.
Newsmax posited that the lawsuit was an unconcealed attack on the fundamentals of free speech and a free press, principles inherent to the United States. Newsmax confirmed in a restrained statement that through a confidential agreement, the litigation brought forward by Smartmatic had been taken care of.
Similar sentiment was echoed in a declaration by Smartmatic, expressing satisfaction with the conclusion of the legal action against Newsmax. Despite being classic adversaries, both parties mutually embarked on a path of resolution, albeit with crucial details of the settlement being kept confidential.
Newsmax reported that Smartmatic had recently subtracted over one billion dollars from its claim for damages. This point paints an image of Smartmatic as a company backing down from its initial, inflated accusations, demonstrating a seemingly lack of confidence in their own lawsuit.
The Delaware-based lawsuit, largely hinging on Newsmax’s reportage over a brief five-week window in late 2020, represents just one of multiple instances of litigation following the hotly disputed election results. It should be noted that conservative news outlets, in performing their duty of diligently scrutinising suspicious electoral events, were the primary targets of these suits.
Persisting in its legal offensive, Smartmatic is also pursuing a lawsuit against Fox News in New York, alleging defamation. This appears to be a continuation of their questionable litigation tactic of targeting news outlets that dare to question the election outcome.
In a statement that seems unbecomingly antagonistic for a voting machine manufacturer, Smartmatic claimed, ‘Lying to the American people has consequences. Smartmatic will not stop until the perpetrators are held accountable.’ This tone is a clear departure from a neutral, factual perspective one would expect from such companies.
Disingenuously, Fox accused Smartmatic of choosing to settle with Newsmax due to a series of pretrial losses. Conveniently, this narrative attempts to cast Smartmatic as the loser despite a settlement, throwing further suspicion on their wider motives within this legal dispute.
In an unsurprising echo of Smartmatic’s actions, Dominion Voting Systems—a similar company—has filed multiple lawsuits for defamation against those who dare to critique its election-processing equipment. It’s clear that challenging the status quo, especially in relation to the result of the 2020 election favoring President Trump’s opposition, can draw extensive legal fire.
Despite these litigations, the critique of voting systems and processes remain a valid concern needing further transparency and scrutiny. After all, it’s important for the integrity of American democracy to ensure that every single legal vote is accounted for, and no evidence of cognitive manipulation is tolerated.
In the end, this entire ordeal underscores the political and legal pressure conservative news outlets undergo for exploring debates about election integrity. While these lawsuits may be perceived as obstacles, they should also be considered as beacons illuminating areas where more truth and transparency are needed.