Voting technology firm Smartmatic has filed a defamation lawsuit against right-wing news outlet One America News (OAN), revealing a potential connection between the network and former President Donald Trump. The lawsuit, prompted by false claims about the 2020 election, implicates OAN president Charles Herring and Trump lawyer Sidney Powell in an email exchange.
In the email dated January 8, 2021, between Herring and Powell, a spreadsheet containing passwords for Smartmatic employees was allegedly shared. While it remains unclear how OAN obtained this sensitive information, Smartmatic’s legal team suggests that the possession of such data implies potential criminal activity, possibly violating state and federal laws on data privacy.
Court records confirm the exchange between Herring and Powell on the same date, though the sender and recipient of the spreadsheet remain undisclosed. These revelations highlight OAN’s tendency to blur the lines between opinion journalism and political advocacy, raising questions about its journalistic integrity.
While Smartmatic’s public filings didn’t identify the sender or recipient of the email, court records from a separate 2020-related lawsuit confirm that Herring and Powell exchanged emails on the same date. The pair’s communications about the purported Smartmatic spreadsheet, which have not been previously reported, resurrect questions that have dogged OAN for years regarding its tendency to blur the lines between opinion journalism and brazen political advocacy.
Smartmatic’s lawsuit against OAN, along with Fox News, stems from false claims alleging the company manipulated votes in favor of President Joe Biden during the 2020 election. In a separate defamation case involving Dominion Voting Systems, Fox News opted for a substantial $787.5 million settlement to avoid trial, indicating the gravity of the allegations and the potential financial consequences for news outlets spreading misinformation.
