A lawsuit alleging Fox News defamed voting systems company Smartmatic by accusing it of helping “steal” the 2020 election will continue after a state appeals court in New York rebuffed the media giant’s attempt to get the case dismissed. Deciding unanimously, the court ruled that Fox News personalities including Lou Dobbs and Maria Bartiromo had “effectively endorsed and participated in (defamation) with reckless disregard for, or serious doubts about” whether or not their claims were true. The Florida-based company, which only provided voting machines for deep-blue Los Angeles County, is seeking $2.7 billion in damages from the right-wing news network, accusing it of knowingly spreading the false narrative to juice ratings and keep its viewers from abandoning it for far-right outlets Newsmax and One America News. Fox News calls the lawsuit an attempt to suppress its First Amendment rights. The company is facing a similar lawsuit for $1.6 billion from election technology company Dominion Voting Systems.
