Fox News has filed a lawsuit against Los Angeles County, seeking access to records concerning the county’s relationship with Smartmatic Corp. The lawsuit comes days after a New York appellate court declined to dismiss Smartmatic’s $2.7 billion defamation case against the network, stemming from its coverage of the 2020 election.
The network alleges evidence of corruption between Los Angeles County officials and Smartmatic employees during the bidding process for election technology contracts. In the filing, Fox News asserts that public records could support its defense in the defamation suit by revealing misconduct tied to Smartmatic’s dealings with the county.
“Fox News brings this action to obtain public records that relate to the relationship between L.A. County and election systems company Smartmatic — two entities with recent and extensive allegations of corruption in government contracts,” the lawsuit states. It claims to have uncovered evidence of personal benefits, some undisclosed, provided by Smartmatic to at least one county official.
The network says Los Angeles County has been uncooperative in producing relevant documents despite multiple public records requests.
The lawsuit also highlights a federal indictment against three current and former Smartmatic executives, including co-founder and president Roger Piñate, Jr., for alleged bribery and money laundering linked to contracts for the 2016 Philippine elections. Fox News notes that Smartmatic’s website previously credited Piñate with securing contracts in both the Philippines and Los Angeles County, but those references have since been removed.
Fox News seeks records detailing interactions between Smartmatic employees and Los Angeles County election officials around the 2020 election, as well as a law firm’s independent review of significant county contracts from 2008 to 2020. The network also requested records related to Dean Logan, the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder and County Clerk, whom it claims played a key role in awarding the Smartmatic contract.
Fox News’s lawsuit concludes by asserting that Los Angeles County’s refusal to fully comply with public records requests obstructs the public’s right to know about potential corruption.
