Smartmatic targets Sidney Powell, Rudy Giuliani, Fox News and others in lawsuit

Smartmatic is targeting attorneys Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani, along with Fox News, Lou Dobbs, Maria Bartiromo and Jeanine Pirro in a lawsuit alleging that the defendants were involved in pushing false claims that the company had been involved in rigging the 2020 election.

"Smartmatic today initiated a lawsuit against Fox Corporation (Nasdaq: FOXA), owner of Fox News Network LLC, seeking in excess of $2.7 billion, plus an additional amount for punitive damages, for defamation and disparagement as a result of the disinformation campaign against Smartmatic by Fox and other named defendants following the 2020 US presidential election," the company said in a Thursday press release.

"In November and December 2020, Fox News broadcast multiple reports stating and implying that Smartmatic had fixed and rigged the 2020 election," the release continued. "They repeated the false claims and accusations on air and in articles and social media postings that were together seen by millions in the US and even more around the world. 

"For the US 2020 election, Smartmatic provided election technology manufacturing, systems integration, software development and logistics only for Los Angeles County, California. The company did not provide any products or services to any other states or jurisdictions." 

Dobbs, Bartiromo and Pirro are all television hosts on Fox News Channel or Fox Business Network.

"FOX News Media is committed to providing the full context of every story with in-depth reporting and clear opinion," a Fox spokesperson said in a statement, according to reports. "We are proud of our 2020 election coverage and will vigorously defend this meritless lawsuit in court."