Overview

• A New York appeals court ruled that Fox News can access Smartmatic's internal documents related to a DOJ bribery indictment, which Fox argues is relevant to its defense.
• Smartmatic alleges that Fox News executives, including Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch, intentionally destroyed text message evidence tied to the case.
• The court has ordered Smartmatic to provide evidence of actual economic harm caused by Fox's 2020 election coverage before further discovery can proceed.
• Fox News contends that Smartmatic's reputation and business were already damaged due to its executives' legal troubles, unrelated to the network's reporting.
• Both parties' motions to dismiss remain unresolved, and the case could go to trial by 2026 if no settlement is reached.