A judge in New York denies Fox News’ request to subpoena George Soros in their legal battle with Smartmatic.
In a recent court ruling, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice David B. Cohen dismissed Fox News’ attempt to compel billionaire George Soros to provide documents and testify in connection with their ongoing legal dispute with the voting systems company Smartmatic.
George Soros, a prominent progressive billionaire, is often the subject of criticism from conservative media personalities and Republican politicians.
Fox News had filed a court motion seeking to depose Mark Malloch Brown, who serves as the president of the Soros-funded Open Society Foundation and previously chaired Smartmatic’s parent company.
Justice Cohen explained his decision during an open court session, stating that Smartmatic’s central claim pertains to Fox’s alleged involvement in election manipulation, rather than any affiliation with George Soros, Alex Soros, or the Open Society Foundation. He characterized the latter as a peripheral issue, at best, and a potential basis for defamation.
The legal battle began when Smartmatic filed a $2.7 billion lawsuit against Fox News in 2021, alleging that the network knowingly provided a platform for Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani, former lawyers for President Trump, to spread false information about Smartmatic’s software.
In response to the judge’s ruling, Fox News released a statement expressing their satisfaction with the outcome. They claimed that during the court hearing, Soros and Smartmatic’s legal representatives had acknowledged the existing connections between Smartmatic and George Soros, as substantiated by documents from Smartmatic and public records.
Earlier this year, Fox News reached a settlement with Dominion Voting Systems, agreeing to pay $787 million to resolve separate defamation claims related to their coverage of the 2020 election.
The ongoing legal battle between Fox News and Smartmatic is not expected to reach trial until 2025.