Dominion Demands Sidney Powell Retract ‘Knowingly Baseless’ Voting Machine Conspiracy Theory
Topline
Dominion Voting Systems called on former Trump campaign attorney Sidney Powell to retract her groundless accusations of voter fraud involving the company’s voting machines, which it characterized in a letter to the right-wing lawyer Wednesday as “wild” and “knowingly baseless,” and threatened to take legal action against her.
Sidney Powell at a news conference on lawsuits regarding the outcome of the 2020 presidential … [+]
CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Key Facts
At rallies and in appearances on TV and radio programs, Powell has pushed a debunked conspiracy theory tying Dominion’s voting machines to wide-ranging voter fraud in the November election that favored President-elect Joe Biden, helping to undermine faith in the results of the election and leading to threats of violence against the company’s employees.
The allegations have been a central part of four lawsuits she’s filed in battleground state that have all been struck down, with a judge in Michigan ruling Powell’s claims are “nothing but speculation and conjecture.”
In its letter, which was first reported by the New York Times, Dominion said Powell’s conspiracy theories are “predicated on lies” and have put “employees’ lives at risk and caused enormous harm to the company.”
The 15-page letter dismantles some of Powell’s central allegations about the voting machines. including that the company is linked to former Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez (Powell appears to have confused Dominion with a competitor, Smartmatic, that was a supplier of voting systems to Venezuela) and said Powell “disregarded” evidence debunking her claims and instead “actively misrepresented and manufactured evidence to support your defamatory falsehoods.”
Powell acted with “actual malice” toward Dominion, the company alleged, and Dominion directed Powell not to destroy any documents or communications related to her claims, suggesting they are intending to sue her for defamation.
Powell has not yet responded to a request for comment.
Crucial Quote
“While you are entitled to your own opinions, Ms. Powell, you are not entitled to your own facts,” Dominion attorneys Thomas A. Clare and Megan L. Meier wrote in the letter, criticizing Powell for not naming Dominion as defendants in her lawsuits so they could debunk her claims in court. “Defamatory falsehoods are actionable in court and…Dominion welcomes transparency and a full investigation of the relevant facts in a court of law, where it is confident the truth will prevail.”
What To Watch For
Powell is still pursuing her lawsuits in court and has appealed them to the U.S. Supreme Court, where they are nearly certain to fail. In addition to the potential legal action being taken by Dominion, the city of Detroit is also pursuing sanctions against Powell and the other attorneys behind her lawsuit in Michigan.
Surprising Fact
Though Powell claims Dominion voting machines fraudulently threw the election to Biden, the machines were used in many states and counties that President Donald Trump won, including Florida and Ohio. A Washington Post analysis of 10 key battleground states found that Trump won 81% of the 351 counties that used Dominion voting machines. The Dominion letter also points out it doesn’t make sense that Dominion could have rigged the election for Biden “but let Democrats lose ground in the House and let the Georgia Senate races proceed to a run-off,” noting that Dominion machines were used in major Senate races in Iowa, Alaska and Georgia.
Key Background
Powell’s Dominion voting claims are part of a broader effort by Trump and his GOP allies to undermine Biden’s win through baseless allegations of fraud, though Powell’s far-fetched theories led the Trump campaign to distance themselves from the attorney. Powell’s allegations have also been debunked by election officials, with Georgia election official Gabriel Sterling, a Republican, calling the conspiracy theory “insanity…a fever dream, made-up, internet cabal.” Dominion’s letter came after the company has repeatedly spoken out against Powell’s allegations, including at a Michigan hearing Tuesday where the company’s CEO denounced her “dangerous and reckless disinformation campaign.” Smartmatic is also taking action against alleged defamation and has demanded that far-right networks retract claims of voter fraud involving it.
Further Reading
Dominion demands that Sidney Powell retract ‘baseless and false allegations’ about voting machines. (New York Times)
Detroit Is Trying To Punish Sidney Powell For ‘Kraken’ Lawsuit—Legal Experts Say It Could Work (Forbes)
How Sidney Powell’s ‘Kraken’—Pushed By QAnon—Went From Cable News To Trump Mainstream (Forbes)
Voting Machine Manufacturer Demands Retractions From Conservative News Networks Over Fraud Claims (Forbes)
*** This article has been archived for your research. The original version from Forbes can be found here ***
