Smartmatic is trying to obtain court documents related to a family battle over the future of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire to assist in its defamation lawsuit against Fox News.
Smartmatic, voting machine manufacturer, is suing Fox News and its parent company Fox Corp. for $2.7 billion over comments made on the network alleging the 2020 election was rigged against now President-elect Donald Trump.
Attorneys for Smartmatic reportedly believe information from the private family legal drama could help them in court. Legal proceedings have reportedly been underway in Nevada.
CNN—citing a source close to the drama—reported the company believes such documents could bolster its defamation case against Fox.
In particular, per CNN’s source, Smartmatic believes docs from the family fight over a family trust “might contradict past assertions in the 2020 election litigation, where Fox claimed control of the parent company doesn’t impact the editorial direction of Fox News.” CNN reported:
The voting technology company wants to examine sealed documents from the family fight that it thinks will bolster its defamation lawsuit against Fox, according to a source familiar with recent filings in the Murdoch trust case. The source said these documents could include transcripts of depositions or trial testimony from media mogul Rupert Murdoch and his and family members, who control Fox’s parent company
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The Murdoch family has battled over succession in compete secrecy in a Reno court. Earlier this month, a probate commissioner rejected an attempt by Murdoch, 93, to retool the irrevocable family trust so his most conservative son, Lachlan, could singularly lead Fox Corporation after his death, instead of sharing power with his three siblings as planned.
Fox News previously settled a similar lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems for $787 million. (RELATED: Report: Fox News Reaches Last-Minute Settlement With Dominion Voting Systems)
The settlement came just hours before opening arguments in the defamation trial were slated to begin in a Delaware courtroom in 2023.
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