Voting machine company Smartmatic sues OAN, Newsmax over election claims

Smartmatic, a company that creates election and voting technology and support services, is suing conservative news outlets One American News Network (OAN) and Newsmax for alleged slander and libel about its voting systems, Reuters reported on Wednesday.

Smartmatic’s complaint against OAN and Newsmax has not yet been posted to the courts, according to Reuters, citing court records. 

Smartmatic had previously filed a $2.7 billion lawsuit against Fox News, Fox News hosts, as well as attorneys Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, accusing them of harming the company’s brand with their accusations of the voting machines’ role in alleged widespread election fraud.

Fox News and its hosts have stated that these cases should be dismissed, claiming that former President Trump’s allegations were newsworthy, even if false, and that outlets should be allowed to report on them.

OAN rose to fame following the 2020 election as it promoted far-right political viewpoints and reported with affinity for Trump, covering his rallies and featuring hosts who praise the former president and his policies.

OAN has headquarters in California and Washington, D.C. according to its website, and was established in 2004.

“While Newsmax has yet to 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. Smartmatic’s action against Newsmax today is a clear attempt to squelch the rights of a free press.” the company, which was founded in 1998, told The Hill.

Dominion Voting Systems filed a similar defamation suit in August against both far-right media networks, alleging that they made a series of false claims about Dominion’s own voting machines, suggesting they were manipulated to favor President Biden over Trump. 

Dominion has also hit Fox News and Rudy Giulliani with lawsuits, which both parties have sought to dismiss, based on their statements about the 2020 presidential election.

OAN has not responded to The Hill’s request to comment.

—Updated Thursday at 11:21 a.m.