Smartmatic Alleges Evidence Destruction by Newsmax Lawsuit 2020 Election Fraud Claims

[Social Media]

 

Smartmatic, the voting machine firm, has accused Newsmax of destroying crucial evidence in a defamation lawsuit over false claims that the company helped rig the 2020 U.S. presidential election. This accusation adds a significant twist to the ongoing legal battles stemming from baseless allegations of election fraud propagated by former President Donald Trump and his allies. Smartmatic's lawsuit against Newsmax is part of a broader legal strategy that includes similar actions against Fox News, Rudy Giuliani, and other figures and organizations that promoted the false narrative of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election. The firm is seeking unspecified damages in a case being heard in Delaware Superior Court, the same venue where Fox News recently settled with Dominion Voting Systems for $787.5 million over similar claims.

 

In court documents made public this week, Smartmatic's lawyers accuse Newsmax of engaging in a "cover-up" by destroying texts and emails from key executives. These communications, according to Smartmatic, would demonstrate that Newsmax knew the fraud claims were untrue yet continued to broadcast them for profit. The alleged destruction of evidence occurred after Newsmax had been notified to preserve documents pertinent to the lawsuit. Smartmatic's filing points to specific deleted messages, including texts from Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy regarding Trump’s attorney Sidney Powell, who was a frequent guest on Newsmax and a prominent source of the false fraud claims. Despite Ruddy's messages being deleted, other witnesses preserved similar communications, which have been provided to Smartmatic during the discovery process.

 

J. Erik Connolly, an attorney for Smartmatic, issued a statement condemning Newsmax's actions: "Newsmax’s misconduct goes beyond falsely accusing Smartmatic of rigging the U.S. election; it also attempted to conceal evidence of its actions and failed to follow its own journalistic standards. Smartmatic’s motion details numerous instances of evidence destruction, including incriminating emails and texts from Newsmax executives, indicating intentional spoliation.” The filing also claims that Newsmax lied under oath about the existence of its journalistic guidelines, further undermining the network's credibility.

 

This lawsuit is one among many that Smartmatic and Dominion Voting Systems have launched against news organizations that broadcast false election fraud claims. These cases ensure that the contentious and false narrative of the 2020 election being rigged will remain a focal point as the next presidential election approaches. Newsmax has denied Smartmatic's allegations, and the case is scheduled to go to trial in September. If Smartmatic prevails, the financial implications could be substantial, similar to the Fox News settlement with Dominion. 

 

Smartmatic is also pursuing a $2.7 billion defamation suit against Fox News, set to go to trial in early 2025. This follows Smartmatic’s settlement with another right-wing news channel, OANN, over similar false claims. Additionally, Dominion has pending lawsuits against OANN and Newsmax, and both companies have sued Sidney Powell, Rudy Giuliani, and Mike Lindell. These legal proceedings highlight the enduring impact of the false claims about the 2020 election and underscore the significant legal and financial risks faced by media organizations that propagate such misinformation. As these cases progress, they will likely shape the media landscape and influence the standards of journalistic integrity and accountability.

 

Credit: NBC 2024-05-23

 

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[riclag]

Oh dear , Now another of my favorite 

news sources will be spurned from the halls of inquiry!

Another defamation lawsuit accusation attempt to delegitimize 

a popular news network.

 

“As these cases progress, they will likely shape the media landscape and influence the standards of journalistic integrity and accountability”

 

 

 

[Tug]

1 hour ago, riclag said:

Oh dear , Now another of my favorite 

news sources will be spurned from the halls of inquiry!

Another defamation lawsuit accusation attempt to delegitimize 

a popular news network.

 

“As these cases progress, they will likely shape the media landscape and influence the standards of journalistic integrity and accountability”

 

 

 

Thanks for the guffaw news source oh boy…..personally I’d love to see the DOJ go after trump and the rest of those (news sources) for spreading the lies that the FBI was trying to kill the precious little snowflake trump that’s in my book deliberately spreading a lie.unfortunately it seems to work on the extremely gullible amongst us 

[Danderman123]

On 5/23/2024 at 6:47 AM, riclag said:

Oh dear , Now another of my favorite 

news sources will be spurned from the halls of inquiry!

Another defamation lawsuit accusation attempt to delegitimize 

a popular news network.

 

“As these cases progress, they will likely shape the media landscape and influence the standards of journalistic integrity and accountability”

 

 

 

Do you think that NewsMax claims about Smartmatic and Dominion were accurate?