Judge Denies Fox News Access to Smartmatic Bribery Case Records

The decision impacts Fox's defense in a $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit over 2020 election fraud claims.

A New York judge ruled that Smartmatic is not required to provide Fox News with records related to a bribery case involving the voting technology company's executives.
The bribery case involves Smartmatic co-founder Roger Piñate and two executives accused of paying over $1 million in bribes to a Filipino election official between 2015 and 2018.
Fox News argued the bribery case is relevant to Smartmatic's claims of financial harm in its defamation lawsuit, but the judge deemed the allegations irrelevant and unproven.
Smartmatic is suing Fox News for $2.7 billion, alleging the network aired false claims that the company helped rig the 2020 U.S. presidential election, damaging its business.
Fox News is countersuing, claiming the defamation lawsuit violates New York laws against frivolous suits aimed at stifling public reporting.