Dominion sues Trump-friendly broadcasters over fraud claims
Vote-counting machine maker Dominion Voting Systems filed defamation lawsuits Tuesday against right-wing broadcasters and a prominent Donald Trump ally over their baseless claims that the 2020 election was marred by fraud.
The lawsuits single out Newsmax, One America News, their executives and former Overstock.com Chief Executive Patrick Byrne. Dominion says their false claims that the company rigged the election for President Biden have cost it $1.6 billion in lost profits, company value and reputational damage.
Dominion Voting Systems has filed a $1.6-billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News for its claim that the company rigged the 2020 election.
“We are filing these three cases today because the defendants named show no remorse, nor any sign they intend to stop spreading disinformation,” Dominion CEO John Poulos said in a statement.
Dominion filed defamation lawsuits this year against Fox News and Trump allies Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell and Mike Lindell, CEO of MyPillow.
Dominion, one of the nation’s leading providers of vote-counting machines and software, has faced a barrage of claims by Trump allies and supporters, including that the company was created in Venezuela to rig elections for the late leader Hugo Chavez and that it has the ability to switch votes.
Dominion says One America News and Newsmax trumpeted those false claims to boost their own profits at Dominion’s expense.
The network repeatedly invited Rudolph W. Giuliani and others who peddled conspiracy theories falsely suggesting the presidential election had been rigged.
Law enforcement and election efforts, including Trump’s attorney general, Bill Barr, have confirmed that there was no election fraud sufficient to sway the results.
One America News founder Charles Herring did not respond to a text message seeking comment.
Byrne responded to a request for comment by texting a graphic purportedly plotting election results from a Senate runoff in Georgia.
Brian Peterson, a spokesman for Newsmax, said the company’s 2020 election coverage was based on allegations made by the president, his advisors and members of Congress.
“Dominion’s action today is a clear attempt to squelch such reporting and undermine a free press,” Peterson said in a statement.
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