In a legal saga that continues to grip the media and political landscape, newly revealed court documents have shed light on the role of prominent Fox News hosts in propagating false claims of election fraud after the 2020 U.S. presidential election. At the center of the $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit filed by voting technology company Smartmatic against Fox News are hosts Maria Bartiromo, Lou Dobbs, and Jeanine Pirro—figures who, according to the filings, played pivotal roles in amplifying baseless conspiracy theories that the election had been stolen from Donald Trump.
The latest revelations, made public in August 2025 through lightly redacted filings at the New York Supreme Court, echo the earlier Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit that resulted in a $787 million settlement from Fox News in 2023. As reported by the Associated Press, the Dominion case established that the claims aired on Fox about Dominion’s involvement in election rigging were "CRYSTAL CLEAR" falsehoods. Now, Smartmatic’s court filings suggest a strikingly similar pattern: Fox News, fully aware that the allegations were groundless, nonetheless allowed Trump’s allies to air them on its platform, aiming to placate viewers furious over Joe Biden’s victory.
Smartmatic’s legal team points specifically to Jeanine Pirro, a former Fox host who now serves as the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia in Trump’s second administration. The court documents, as first reported by The Washington Post, include September 2020 texts from Pirro to then-Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel. In these messages, Pirro boasted, “I’m the Number 1 watched show on all news cable all weekend. I work so hard for the President and party.” These admissions, made while Pirro was still on air, have raised serious questions about the intersection of media influence and political advocacy.
But Pirro’s involvement didn’t stop at self-promotion. According to Smartmatic’s filings, she used her position at Fox to push for a presidential pardon for her ex-husband, Albert Pirro, who had been convicted of conspiracy and tax evasion. Trump ultimately granted the pardon before leaving office in 2021. Smartmatic also alleges that Pirro provided suggestions for supposed evidence of election fraud to Trump lawyer Sidney Powell—evidence that was then broadcast on Fox shows, including those hosted by Bartiromo.
Emails and text messages uncovered during the discovery process paint a picture of a network in crisis, desperate to retain its core audience. Fox’s ratings, according to the filings, surged whenever hosts discussed allegations of election fraud. As the Associated Press detailed, messages between Fox staffers reveal an explicit awareness of this dynamic. In one exchange, Fox’s Jesse Watters texted Greg Gutfeld, “Think of how incredible our ratings would be if Fox went ALL in on STOP THE STEAL.”
Maria Bartiromo, who continues to work at Fox, is also implicated in the filings. In 2020, she hosted programs on both the Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network. In a message to Sidney Powell, Bartiromo pleaded, “I am very worried. Please please please overturn this. Bring the evidence, I know you can.” This direct appeal underscores the extent to which Bartiromo, like Pirro, was invested in overturning the election results.
Lou Dobbs, whose show was canceled by Fox in February 2021 and who passed away in 2024, similarly communicated his commitment to the cause. Four days after the election, Dobbs texted Powell, “I’m going to do what I can to help stop what is now a coup d’etat in (its) final days—perhaps moments,” alluding to Biden’s impending victory. These behind-the-scenes messages, revealed through court filings, demonstrate that the promotion of election fraud narratives was not merely a matter of on-air speculation but a coordinated effort among key Fox personnel.
The court documents also highlight internal dissent at Fox. One of Pirro’s own producers, Jerry Andrews, texted after a November 2020 episode that her show was “rife (with) conspiracy theories and bs and is yet another example of why this woman should never be on live television.” Despite such warnings from within, the network continued to provide a platform for unfounded claims, further fueling the post-election maelstrom.
Fox News, for its part, has vigorously denied any wrongdoing. In a statement responding to the latest court filings, the network asserted, “The evidence shows that Smartmatic’s business and reputation were badly suffering long before any claims by President Trump’s lawyers on Fox News and that Smartmatic grossly inflated its damage claims to generate headlines and chill free speech.” The statement also referenced ongoing corruption charges against Smartmatic executives, including allegations that they set up a “slush fund” for bribing foreign officials using money from the sale of voting machines. Federal prosecutors allege that Smartmatic executives overbilled Los Angeles County for voting machines used during the 2020 election and diverted the excess funds for bribes, particularly in the Philippines.
Smartmatic has already settled similar defamation claims with Newsmax and One America News Network, signaling a broader effort to hold media outlets accountable for the spread of false information about its role in the 2020 election. Both Smartmatic and Fox News have requested summary judgment in the current case, seeking to avoid a protracted trial. According to The New York Times, a decision by Manhattan Judge David Cohen is expected in the coming months.
The filings also offer glimpses into the personal dynamics at play among Fox hosts and Trump allies. In one exchange, Pirro described being with Trump in the Oval Office shortly before the 2020 election, noting that fellow host Sean Hannity “stormed into the room and used the president’s private bathroom,” calling him an “egomaniac.” While such anecdotes may seem trivial, they illustrate the close and sometimes fractious relationships between media figures and political leaders during one of the most contentious periods in recent American history.
At the core of the Smartmatic lawsuit is the charge that Fox News, in its coverage, repeatedly allowed guests like Sidney Powell to attack Smartmatic on air with unsubstantiated claims. On Pirro’s show “Justice with Judge Jeanine” in November 2020, Powell was given a prominent platform to accuse Smartmatic of helping to steal the election for Biden—allegations that have never been substantiated by credible evidence.
As the legal battle moves toward a possible conclusion, the stakes remain high for both the media industry and the broader question of accountability in American democracy. The Smartmatic case, much like its Dominion predecessor, has forced a reckoning over the responsibilities of major news organizations in verifying the claims they broadcast, especially when the integrity of the electoral process is at stake.
With a decision expected soon, all eyes are on the New York Supreme Court to see whether Fox News will face further financial and reputational consequences—or if the network’s arguments about free speech and press freedom will carry the day. Whatever the outcome, the case stands as a stark reminder of the profound influence media outlets can wield—and the lasting impact of the stories they choose to tell.
