Voting machine company Smartmatic settled a defamation lawsuit against One America News Network (OANN) over fraud claims made on the network after the 2020 election. The settlement was reached through a confidential agreement, ending the lawsuit that alleged OANN spread false claims about Smartmatic machines being used in the election.
Smartmatic and Dominion Voting Systems still have multiple defamation cases pending against right-wing defendants over fraud claims involving their machines. Smartmatic is also pursuing a separate case against Fox News for similar allegations of spreading disinformation about the company.
Dominion Voting Systems has ongoing lawsuits against various defendants, including OANN, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Lindell, and Newsmax. These cases involve allegations of spreading false claims about the company’s voting machines and seeking significant damages for the harm caused by the conspiracy theories.
The legal battles surrounding the defamation lawsuits are ongoing, with trial dates set for some cases in September. Dominion is seeking substantial damages in its lawsuits, with amounts ranging from $1.3 billion to $1.6 billion against different defendants. Smartmatic’s case against Fox News is seeking $2.7 billion in damages.
The conspiracy theories surrounding the voting companies’ machines have been widely debunked, but the false claims have led to significant financial losses and harm to their reputations. The lawsuits aim to hold those spreading misinformation about the companies accountable for the damage caused by the baseless allegations.
The legal proceedings highlight the impact of misinformation and defamation on businesses and the importance of addressing false claims that can harm companies’ reputations and financial stability. The outcomes of these lawsuits could set a precedent for holding accountable those who spread disinformation that leads to real-world consequences.
