Voting machine company Smartmatic demands retraction from conservative news outlets
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Electronic voting system company Smartmatic said on Monday it is demanding retractions from Fox News, Newsmax, and One America News for making "false and defamatory statements" about the company surrounding the presidential election.
The big picture: The company issued legal notices to the three networks, which have all amplified baseless claims by President Trump and his allies that the election was rigged. Smartmatic CEO Antonio Mugica said the claims are part of "an effort to depress confidence in future elections and potentially counter the will of the voters."
- The company wrote it "had nothing to do with the 'controversies' that certain public and private figures have alleged regarding the 2020 U.S. election."
- The agencies "could have easily discovered the falsity of the statements and implications made about Smartmatic by investigating their statements before publishing them."
Flashback: Dominion Voting Systems, another company which has been at the center of baseless conspiracy theories that it was part of a conspiracy to rig the election, denied those claims last month.
What they're saying: “They have no evidence to support their attacks on Smartmatic because there is no evidence. This campaign was designed to defame Smartmatic and undermine legitimately conducted elections,” Mugica said.
- “Our efforts are more than just about Smartmatic or any other company. This campaign is an attack on election systems and election workers in an effort to depress confidence in future elections and potentially counter the will of the voters, not just here, but in democracies around the world.”
Newsmax said in a statement to Axios that the outlet "itself has never made a claim of impropriety about Smartmatic," but has invited guests "raising questions about the company and its voting software."
- "As any major media outlet, we provide a forum for public concerns and discussion. In the past we have welcomed Smartmatic and its representatives to counter such claims they believe to be inaccurate and will continue to do so."
- Fox News and One America News did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Go deeper: Department of Homeland Security calls election "the most secure in American history"
This post has been updated with a statement from Newsmax.
