Voting technology maker Smartmatic filed a $2.7 billion (about R40bn) defamation suit on Thursday against three Fox News hosts and Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani for promoting false claims that the company was involved in fraud in the November presidential election.
The complaint filed in New York State Court names the Rupert Murdoch-owned Fox Corp., the Fox News Network and Fox hosts Maria Bartiromo, Lou Dobbs and Jeanine Pirro as defendants.
Also named in the suit are former New York mayor Giuliani, the ex-president's personal lawyer, and Sidney Powell, a lawyer for the Trump campaign who falsely claimed that voting machines had flipped votes for Trump to Democrat Joe Biden.
"The election was not stolen, rigged, or fixed," the complaint said. "These are facts. They are demonstrable and irrefutable."
Fox News broadcast 13 reports stating and implying Smartmatic had stolen the election and that its technology was used in six states where the results were in dispute, the complaint said.
In fact, Smartmatic provided election technology and software only in Los Angeles County, California, it said, and county officials lauded its performance.
The complaint makes 16 claims of defamation and disparagement against the defendants and seeks $2.7 billion for economic and punitive damages.
In a statement, Fox said "Fox News Media is committed to providing the full context of every story with in-depth reporting and clear opinion.
"We are proud of our 2020 election coverage and will vigorously defend this meritless lawsuit in court," Fox said.