WASHINGTON (AP) — A voting technology company that was the target of false fraud claims related to the 2020 presidential election settled a defamation lawsuit against a conservative news outlet on Tuesday.
The settlement between Florida-based Smartmatic and One America News Network is the latest development in a larger legal setback by voting equipment companies that became ensnared by wild conspiracy theories that falsely claimed they had flipped votes and cost former President Donald Trump’s reelection.
In a statement, the company said it had “resolved the lawsuit with OANN through a confidential settlement.” The lawsuit’s dismissal was filed in federal court in the District of Columbia. Chip Babcock, a Houston-based attorney representing the news station, confirmed the case had been resolved but said he could not reveal any settlement.
Smartmatic was an odd target for the conspiracy theorists because the use of its voting technology and software was so limited. It was used only in Los Angeles County, a Democratic stronghold in a state that was not a presidential battleground and where Trump did not contest his loss.
But the company has also provided voting services in Venezuela for years, creating a springboard for false claims that a foreign company was involved in a vast conspiracy to shift the election from Trump to Democrat Joe Biden. Smartmatic also has active lawsuits against Fox News and conservative outlet Newsmax over similar complaints. Fox has said it had the right to make claims about elections promoted by prominent figures.
Last year, on the eve of a lawsuit, Fox News agreed to pay $787 million to settle a defamation lawsuit brought by a much larger voting technology company, Dominion Voting Systems, which alleged that the network and its hosts spread false claims that his equipment helped manipulate votes. the elections against Trump. Dominion has other defamation lawsuits that remain active, including one against One America News Network.
The conspiracy theories regarding voting equipment and software are among the lies about the outcome of the 2020 presidential election won by Biden. Numerous reviews, audits and recounts in the presidential swing states where Trump contested his loss have confirmed Biden’s victory, and there is no evidence of widespread fraud. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, is facing federal and state charges related to his efforts to overturn the results.
