Fox Hosts Seek Dismissal Of $2.7B Smartmatic Lawsuit

Law & Crime reports:

Top Fox personalities Lou Dobbs, Maria Bartiromo and Jeanine Pirro filed a motion on Monday to dismiss the $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit brought against them and Fox News by voting systems company Smartmatic.

Smartmatic slapped Fox Corp., the parent company of Fox News, with a hefty defamation lawsuit last week alleging the network pushed false claims that it sought to rig the election against Donald Trump.

One day after the massive lawsuit was filed, Fox Business cancelled the top-rated nightly show of Lou Dobbs — though Jeanine Pirro and Maria Bartiromo’s programs remain on the network.

NEW: Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo, Jeanine Pirro and former host Lou Dobbs have filed separate motions to dismiss the Smartmatic Lawsuit, per FNC press release.

— Dylan Byers (@DylanByers) February 12, 2021

… comes on heels of Fox’s own move to dismiss the suit earlier this week.

— Dylan Byers (@DylanByers) February 12, 2021

+ One thing about the motion to dismiss: It calls Smartmatic suit a “legal shakedown designed to chill speech and punish reporting.” It was in fact the absence of reporting that was partly at issue here.

— Dylan Byers (@DylanByers) February 12, 2021