Fox News has received approval from a New York appeals court to access internal documents from Smartmatic, a voting technology company. The ruling is part of an ongoing $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit filed by Smartmatic. The documents are related to a U.S. corruption investigation involving Smartmatic’s business operations in the Philippines.
The legal battle began after Fox News aired several shows following the 2020 U.S. presidential election. On those shows, lawyers supporting then-President Donald Trump claimed that Smartmatic helped to rig the election. Smartmatic says these claims were false and caused serious damage to its business and reputation. The company is now trying to hold Fox News accountable for spreading what it says were harmful lies.
In the latest ruling, the appeals court reversed earlier decisions by a lower-court judge who had blocked Fox from getting access to certain records. These documents concern a separate corruption case involving Smartmatic executives and the company’s business dealings in the Philippines from 2015 to 2018. The case led to criminal charges in the United States.
Three Smartmatic executives, including co-founder Roger Piñate, were charged in connection with the case. They are accused of paying more than $1 million in bribes to a government official in the Philippines. The goal, according to the charges, was to win business contracts in the country. Smartmatic itself is not charged in the corruption case. However, the three executives were placed on leave after the charges became public.
Fox News argues that these documents are important for its defense. The network says the files can help show that Smartmatic’s business was already under stress before the 2020 election. The court agreed and said that records showing how the corruption case affected Smartmatic’s financial position are relevant. These records could help determine whether Smartmatic’s reported losses are accurate.
Smartmatic disagrees. The company says the bribery case in the Philippines has nothing to do with the defamation case in the United States. According to Smartmatic, its problems began after Fox News aired false stories that linked it to voter fraud. The company believes Fox made those claims to attract viewers and boost ratings.
The defamation lawsuit was filed in 2021. Smartmatic named Fox News and several of its current and former on-air hosts in the suit. These include hosts who invited Trump allies like Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell to discuss voting fraud. During those programs, the guests claimed that Smartmatic played a role in a scheme to change the outcome of the 2020 election in favor of Joe Biden.
After facing pressure, Fox News aired a segment with an expert who explained that the fraud claims were not true. But Smartmatic says the damage was already done. The company lost key contracts and says it suffered long-term harm.
Fox News says it simply reported on what Trump’s legal team was saying. The network says it did not invent the claims but reported them as part of covering a major political event. Fox also argues that Smartmatic is overstating its losses and trying to hold the media responsible for things it did not say itself.
This case is one of the most high-profile media lawsuits in recent years. It raises questions about how much responsibility media companies have when reporting on public allegations, especially during a time of political tension. The case is still in its early stages. No trial date has been set yet.
Fox News has already settled another defamation lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems. That case ended in a $787.5 million settlement in 2023. Like Smartmatic, Dominion said it was damaged by false election fraud claims aired on Fox programs.
The Smartmatic case continues to draw public attention as it moves forward. Legal experts say the outcome could affect how media outlets report on controversial issues in the future. It could also shape how courts view the line between free speech and false reporting.
Government officials and independent audits have found no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. Joe Biden won both the popular vote and the Electoral College. Dozens of judges rejected lawsuits that questioned the election results. These included judges who were appointed by Donald Trump himself.
With the court now allowing access to the Philippines-related documents, Fox News may be able to use the information in its legal defense. Whether that changes the final outcome remains to be seen.
