"Smartmatic Accuses Fox News of Evidence Destruction in Defamation Lawsuit: Legal Battle Unfolds"
Read "Smartmatic Accuses Fox News of Evidence Destruction in Defamation Lawsuit: Legal Battle Unfolds" on WALY Radio
"Smartmatic Accuses Fox News of Evidence Destruction in Defamation Lawsuit: Legal Battle Unfolds"
[!CDATA[A voting technology company, Smartmatic, has accused Fox News of intentionally destroying evidence related to a defamation lawsuit over its coverage of the 2020 election. The company claimed that senior executives, including Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan Murdoch, deleted text messages in a deliberate manner to conceal their knowledge of the falsity of their broadcasts. Smartmatic alleged that the deleted texts were from November and December 2020, a period when Fox News was promoting claims of massive voter fraud. The lawsuit, which is ongoing in New York state court, has yet to receive a trial date. Smartmatic's legal team argued that Fox News orchestrated the destruction of evidence to hide incriminating communications that would have revealed the network's awareness of the misinformation being spread on its shows. The company requested the judge to inform the jury about Fox's actions and allow them to infer that the destroyed evidence would have been detrimental to Fox's defense. Fox News has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and asserted that the lawsuit poses a threat to First Amendment press freedoms. The network's lawyers have characterized Smartmatic as a failing company seeking a baseless financial gain through the lawsuit. In a recent development, an appeals court granted Fox News access to documents related to a federal bribery indictment against senior Smartmatic executives. Fox News believes that these documents will support its defense in the defamation lawsuit. The defendants in the bribery case have pleaded not guilty, and Smartmatic has denied any involvement in wrongdoing. The legal battle between Smartmatic and Fox News continues to unfold, with both parties vigorously defending their positions in court.]]