Dominion Voting Systems is back in the spotlight. After being accused numerous times of rigging the 2020 election for Joe Biden by conservative media, they are suing Fox News for $1.6 billion. This is in addition to a lawsuit already filed against Fox for $2.7 billion by voting company Smartmatic.
The lawsuit contends that Fox, “…gave life to a manufactured storyline that cast a then-little-known voting machine company as the villain.” After Trump lost the election, Fox claimed through both their guests, commentators, and hosts, that Dominion stole the election for Joe Biden by changing votes cast for Trump to Joe Biden. This conspiracy theory was met with scorn both by Dominion, the media, and even Trump’s own Justice Department, with even then-Attorney General Bill Barr claiming that the election was fair and that there no mass efforts of voting fraud made that could change the outcome of the election.
In the Delaware filed Lawsuit, Dominion writes, “The truth matters. Lies have consequences.” Adding, “Fox sold a false story of election fraud in order to serve its own commercial purposes, severely injuring Dominion in the process. If this case does not rise to the level of defamation by a broadcaster, then nothing does.” This new tactic by a voting machine company to defend itself will likely play out before the courts unless Fox manages to get it dismissed like they are already attempting with voting company, Smartmatic.
Throughout the post-election conspiracies which culminated with the January 6th terrorist attack on the Capitol building encouraged by Trump, various charges were made against Dominion, including that their company was created by Venezuelan officials to help elect long-dead President Hugo Chavez, a claim that was made most prominently by Sidney Powell, who also has a defamation suit filed against her by Dominion. In Powell’s defense, as far her claims about fraud are concerned, her attorneys are stating that, “…no reasonable person would conclude that the statements were truly statements of fact.”
These lies were spread not only by Powell but also former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani were also given credence to by Fox anchors such as Lou Dobbs who despite being Fox Business’ most successful prime time anchor, was fired after the Smartmatic lawsuit.
The lies told by both Fox News and their guests, Dominion claims, have resulted in both harassment of their CEO, their software engineers, and according to them, “Some have even received death threats. And of course, Dominion’s business has suffered enormous and irreparable economic harm.”
According to Dominion, that economic harm has included losing contracts with both Louisiana and Georgia.
Fox News has tried to get the lawsuit against Smartmatic dismissed and as far as Dominion is concerned, they stated, “FOX News Media is proud of our 2020 election coverage, which stands in the highest tradition of American journalism, and will vigorously defend against this baseless lawsuit in court.”
