Topline
Smartmatic—one of two voting machine manufacturers that’s been attacked by President Trump and his allies (without evidence) for supposedly rigging the 2020 election—announced Monday that it is demanding retractions and delivering legal notices to three conservative networks that promoted the conspiracy theories.
Rudolph Giuliani, attorney for President Donald Trump, conducts a news conference at the Republican … [+] National Committee, on lawsuits regarding the outcome of the 2020 presidential election on Thursday, November 19, 2020. Trump attorneys, Jenna Ellis, far left and Sydney Powell, second from left, also appear.
CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Key Facts
The demand letters, according to an announcement from the company, will be sent to Fox News, as well as two of the president’s new favorite right-wing networks: Newsmax and One America News Network.
Inside, the letters outline “dozens of factually inaccurate statements” made by each organization as part of what Smartmatic describes as a “disinformation campaign” to harm the voting machine company and discredit the 2020 election.
“These organizations could have easily discovered the falsity of the statements and implications made about Smartmatic by investigating their statements before publishing them to millions of viewers and readers,” wrote Smartmatic.
The voting machine company, which is an approved vendor by the United States Department of Defense and says it has never experienced a single breach in its history of counting over five billion votes, has hired Chicago-based defamation lawyer J. Erik Connolly to assess its legal avenues.
Fox News and One America News Network did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Forbes, while Newsmax said the network itself has “never made a claim of impropriety about Smartmatic, its ownership or software” and is providing a “forum for public concerns” like any other “major media outlet.”
Crucial Quote
“They have no evidence to support their attacks on Smartmatic because there is no evidence. This campaign was designed to defame Smartmatic and undermine legitimately conducted elections,” said Smartmatic’s CEO Antonio Mugica. “Our efforts are more than just about Smartmatic or any other company.
Key Background
Smartmatic’s demands center around allegations made by anchors and guests on these networks who made claims that the voting machine company and its competitor Dominion Voting Systems flipped votes to President-elect Joe Biden and that they are involved in a nefarious communist-backed plot to undermine the election. “The software that [Dominion uses] is done by a company called Smartmatic, a company that was founded by [Hugo] Chávez and by Chávez’s two allies, who still own it,” Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani falsed claimed during a Nov. 15 appearance on Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures.” Smartmatic was founded and incorporated in the United States. Another pro-Trump lawyer, Sidney Powell, who has continued to launch election challenges in court despite the Trump campaign cutting its ties, has also been on these networks echoing false voting machines claims; as have hosts Lou Dobbs and Maria Bartiromo. Dominion Voting Systems did not immediately respond to questions from Forbes about whether it will be pursuing similar action.
Further Reading
“Giuliani’s fantasy parade of false voter-fraud claims” (The Washington Post)
“Trump Just Pushed A Nonsensical Voter Fraud Conspiracy Theory On Twitter. Here’s Where It Came From.” (Forbes)
“CNN, Newsmax Claim Post-Election Ratings Wins Over Fox News” (Forbes)