Smartmatic attorney expects 'full retraction' from Fox News along with a sizable payout

The trial for Dominion Voting Systems' $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News was avoided on Tuesday, April 18 when plaintiff Dominion and defendant Fox reached a settlement. Fox News agreed to pay Dominion $787.5 million, and the right-wing cable news channel has been spared the embarrassing testimony that Dominion's attorneys were getting ready to present during the trial.

But Fox News is still facing a $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit from Dominion competitor Smartmatic, whose lawyer, Erik Connolly, discussed that case with CNN's Jake Tapper on Thursday, April 20.

Smartmatic's lawsuit against Fox News is similar to Dominion's. Like Dominion, Smartmatic alleges that it was defamed when Fox News, following the 2020 presidential election, promoted the bogus, thoroughly debunked conspiracy theory that its equipment was used to help President Joe Biden steal the election from former President Donald Trump. But Smartmatic has sued Fox News for a larger amount than Dominion.

The Smartmatic attorney told Tapper that Smartmatic is asking Fox News for a "full retraction," an "apology" and a settlement that is at least as large as the one Dominion is receiving — if not larger.

Connolly said of the Fox News/Dominion settlement, "That set down a marker, and it's a marker that we think we should be exceeding. The scope of the damage done to Smartmatic is a global scale, because we operate globally…. $787 million is a good start. But it's not the right finishing point."

The attorney told Tapper that Smartmatic is "looking to take this case through trial."

A Fox News spokesperson had a combative tone in an April 20 statement on Smartmatic's lawsuit, telling CNN, "We will be ready to defend this case surrounding extremely newsworthy events when it goes to trial, likely in 2025. As a report prepared by our financial expert shows, Smartmatic's damages claims are implausible, disconnected from reality, and on its face intended to chill First Amendment freedoms."