Fox Corporation to Face $2.7 Billion Smartmatic Defamation Lawsuit in Court

An appeals court ruled that Smartmatic's claims of Fox Corp.'s direct involvement in spreading 2020 election misinformation can proceed to trial.

A New York appellate court rejected Fox Corporation's motion to dismiss Smartmatic's $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit, allowing the case to move forward.
The court found sufficient allegations that Fox Corporation actively participated in and directed Fox News' disinformation campaign about the 2020 election.
Smartmatic alleges that Fox News and its parent company knowingly promoted false claims of voter fraud to regain viewership after the election.
The lawsuit follows Fox's 2023 $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems over similar defamation claims.
The case is still in the discovery phase, with a trial anticipated for later this year unless an out-of-court settlement is reached.