Smartmatic settles its lawsuit against One America News Network

The case against OANN, filed in November 2021, was part of a series of lawsuits targeting right-wing television networks that aired unproven or disproven allegations of election fraud by lawyers associated with Donald Trump.

Florida-based Smartmatic also sued Fox News Channel (for $2.7 billion) and Newsmax; Both cases are ongoing, according to court records. The voting company’s lawsuit noted that its participation in the 2020 election was extremely limited, and that its technology was only used in Los Angeles County. Pro-Trump advisers and media figures had suggested that Smartmatic interfered in nationwide elections.

“OANN knew that its claims about Smartmatic were not true,” the lawsuit says. “The OANN had not seen any evidence to support the claims. But the OANN decided to spread disinformation.”

As in its other lawsuits against media companies, Smartmatic alleged that OANN’s coverage damaged its reputation and caused lasting financial damage. The company accused OANN of making false claims linking it to allegations of voter fraud in an attempt to boost ratings.

OANN, owned by Herring Networks, had denied that Smartmatic’s allegations had any merit and responded that its on-air personalities were simply covering a newsworthy election.

While OANN has a significantly smaller audience than Fox News, the network remains influential in conservative political circles. The network could be viewed in 35 million homes, but that reach declined after cable companies DirecTV and Verizon Fios left the network in 2022.

Dominion Voting Systems settled its case against Fox News in April 2023 for a staggering $787.5 million. Dominion has also sued Newsmax; That case is expected to go to trial this fall.

In recent months, Fox News and Smartmatic have been embroiled in discussions over issues related to the handover of sensitive internal emails and documents. Both sides are required to complete that process, along with interviews of both company officials and industry experts, this summer, with a trial date expected in 2025.