In a recent court filing, the voting technology company Smartmatic has accused One America News Network (OAN), a pro-Trump news network, of engaging in criminal activities while promoting falsehoods about the 2020 election. These allegations have emerged as part of a lawsuit brought by Smartmatic against OAN for defamation.
According to court documents, after the 2020 election, Charles Herring, the president of OAN, reportedly sent a spreadsheet to former Trump lawyer Sidney Powell. The spreadsheet purportedly contained passwords of Smartmatic employees. This communication took place at a time when both OAN and Powell were actively promoting baseless conspiracy theories claiming that Smartmatic had tampered with the election results.
The details regarding this spreadsheet have not been made public until now. Information from three separate court cases related to the fallout from the 2020 election have shed light on this particular incident. In their defamation lawsuit, Smartmatic referenced the email exchange between Herring and Powell as evidence. It remains unclear how Herring obtained the supposed spreadsheet or whether its contents were authentic. Nevertheless, Smartmatic argues that this action potentially violated state and federal laws concerning data privacy, implying potential criminal activity on the part of OAN executives.
In response to these allegations, OAN vehemently denies any wrongdoing. Charles Babcock, an attorney representing the network, stated in a recent statement that the accusation from Smartmatic is a vague and clumsy attempt to smear OAN and divert attention from Smartmatic's own alleged misconduct.
The email containing the spreadsheet was sent in January 2021, a significant timeframe as it occurred just one day after associates of Sidney Powell breached the voting systems in Coffee County, Georgia, while searching for evidence to support their claims of voter fraud. It is important to note that Sidney Powell has since pleaded guilty to state charges in Georgia in relation to this breach.
As the legal battle between Smartmatic and OAN continues, these allegations raise serious questions about the role of media outlets in disseminating unfounded claims and the potential legal ramifications associated with such actions. The lawsuit serves as a reminder of the far-reaching consequences of spreading misinformation and the importance of upholding data privacy laws during contentious political times.
