Voting technology company Smartmatic and the far-right network One America News (OAN) have reached a settlement in a defamation lawsuit concerning the 2020 election. This resolution ends accusations that OAN spread falsehoods about Smartmatic’s role in the election to inflate their viewership and revenue. The terms of the settlement remain confidential as per the agreement between the parties.
The lawsuit is part of a series of legal actions taken against various right-wing media outlets in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election. These media outlets propagated baseless claims challenging the legitimacy of President Joe Biden’s victory. Smartmatic’s legal challenge to OAN began in 2021, asserting that the network had falsely claimed their technology was used widely to manipulate election outcomes.
This settlement comes on the heels of a similar, larger settlement last year where Fox News paid over $787 million to Dominion Voting Systems over similar allegations. Smartmatic continues its legal battles with Fox News, Newsmax, and several figures from the pro-Trump camp. OAN, known for its extremist views and conspiracy-laden content, also faces an ongoing defamation lawsuit from Dominion regarding the 2020 election falsehoods.