Smartmatic settles 2020 election defamation case against far-right network OAN

ByAlexander Mallin and Olivia Rubin ABCNews logo
Tuesday, April 16, 2024
ABC7 New York 24/7 Eyewitness News Stream

The voting tech company Smartmatic has entered into a settlement with the right-wing news outlet One America News Network to resolve its lawsuit against the network for peddling lies about the 2020 election, according to a new statement from the company.

"Smartmatic has resolved its litigation against OANN through a confidential settlement," Erik Connolly, Smartmatic's lead attorney said in a statement to ABC News.

Both parties notified a federal judge in Washington, D.C. Tuesday of their intent to drop the case, according to a court filing, without further explanation of the details of the settlement.

One America News correspondent Daniel Baldwin reports from Trump National Golf Club Bedminster on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, in Bedminster, New Jersey.
One America News correspondent Daniel Baldwin reports from Trump National Golf Club Bedminster on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, in Bedminster, New Jersey.
AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey

Smartmatic filed the lawsuit in November of 2021, accusing OAN of "knowingly and deliberately" spreading "a continuous stream of falsehoods that harmed Smartmatic and negatively impacted the company's business."

The lawsuit was just one among a number of defamation suits filed by companies and individuals targeted by backers of former President Trump in their sweeping campaign to spread false conspiracy theories undermining the integrity of the 2020 election.

In April of last year, Dominion Voting Systems entered into a massive $787.5 million settlement with Fox News over falsehoods spread about the company's role in the 2020 election.

Smartmatic similarly sued both Fox News and the far-right media organization Newsmax in addition to its lawsuit against OAN, and those cases still remain unresolved as of Tuesday.

ABC News also reached out to an attorney for OAN Tuesday but did not immediately receive a response.

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