Fox News Is Trying to Prove Soros Ties to Smartmatic as Part of Defense Against Defamation Suit
(AP Photo/Ronald Zak)
Fox News is defending itself in another defamation suit stemming from its coverage of the 2020 election by trying to prove a connection between voting technology company Smartmatic and billionaire progressive donor George Soros.
In a filing on Wednesday, Fox’s lawyers argued that their client was “entitled to all evidence that is relevant to Smartmatic’s claims and Fox’s defenses, including evidence bearing on the full extent of Smartmatic’s entanglement with the Soros Group.”
Smartmatic is suing Fox for $2.7 billion, claiming that “Fox News’ disinformation campaign had a direct and harmful impact on Smartmatic’s ability to conduct business in the United States and around the world now and in the future,” according to the company website. It has alleged that Fox is responsible for “over 100 false statements and implications about Smartmatic,” including ones about the company’s supposed ties to Soros.
Sidney Powell, a lawyer who represented Trump after the 2020 election, claimed on-air during a Fox appearance that “there are George Soros connections to this entire endeavor.”
Earlier this summer, Fox attempted to secure related documents from Soros and his Open Society Foundation.
“Mr. Soros objects to the Subpoena in its entirety on the grounds that its service is an abuse of process that constitutes harassment of a non-party,” wrote the billionaire’s lawyers wrote at the time.
His legal team is making a similar argument in response to this latest request, characterizing it as “unduly burdensome and oppressive” and “an abuse of process.”
Fox has pointed to the presence of Mark Malloch-Brown — the chair of Smartmatic’s parent company — on the Open Society Foundation’s board as evidence of a connection between Soros and Smartmatic.
“Malloch-Brown had a decades-long personal and business relationship with George Soros going back at least to 2005,” noted Fox in a filing. “While Malloch-Brown was serving in the United Nations, he resided at an apartment owned by Soros in New York City.”
Earlier this year, Fox settled a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit leveled against it by Dominion Voting Systems over similar issues for $787.5 million.
