Dominion Voting Systems sues Newsmax and OAN

By Oliver Darcy, CNN Business

Dominion Voting Systems, a technology company that was targeted with disinformation by former President Donald Trump and allies, filed lawsuits on Tuesday against two right-wing television channels, alleging they aided the spread of baseless conspiracy theories about its role in the 2020 election.

The lawsuits, which are the latest in a string of legal action from the company, name Newsmax and One America News as defendants. The lawsuit against OAN also named two of the network’s far-right personalities, Chanel Rion and Christina Bobb, as well as the network’s owners, Robert and Charles Herring.

John Poulos, the chief executive of Dominion, said in a statement that the networks “disregarded the truth when they spread lies in November” and that they “continue to do so today.”

In the immediate aftermath of the 2020 election, then-President Trump falsely asserted that the election had been rigged against him. His media allies promoted outlandish conspiracy theories about Dominion to support Trump’s false claims.

In its lawsuit against Newsmax, Dominion said that the channel “created an entire brand out of defaming” the company. And in its lawsuit against OAN, Dominion said that for the right-wing channel, “facts did not matter.”

“What mattered was feeding the audience the alternate reality OAN had helped create and its audience now expected — even if it was spreading false information,” Dominion said in its 213- complaint in the District of Columbia District Court. “And the race to the bottom began in earnest, dragging Dominion down with it.”

Specifically in regards to OAN, Dominion pointed to a film by MyPillow chief executive Mike Lindell that promoted election conspiracy theories about the voting tech company.

Dominion asked for at least $1.6 billion in each of its lawsuits against OAN and Newsmax. Poulos said that the “barrage of lies” promoted about the company has caused “severe damage to our company, customers, and employees.”

In a statement, Newsmax said that it had not yet reviewed the lawsuit filed against it, but that “in its coverage of the 2020 Presidential elections, Newsmax simply reported on allegations made by well-known public figures, including the President, his advisors and members of Congress.”

“Dominion’s action today is a clear attempt to squelch such reporting and undermine a free press,” Newsmax added.

Charles Herring, president of OAN, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Dominion also filed a similar defamation lawsuit Tuesday against Patrick Byrne, the former chief executive of Overstock, who became a right-wing political figure during the Trump years. The lawsuit alleged that he worked with former Trump campaign lawyers Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell and others to create claims of election fraud. Byrne did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.

Previously, Dominion filed a $1.6 billion lawsuit against Fox News in March, alleging that the right-wing channel “took a small flame” of disinformation and “turned it into a forest fire.” That case, in which Fox has vigorously defended itself and filed a motion to dismiss, is ongoing.

Dominion has also filed lawsuits against Lindell, Giuliani and Powell. Those cases remain ongoing and Lindell, Giuliani, and Powell have also defended themselves.

CNN’s Katelyn Polantz contributed to this report.

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