Smartmatic, the voting technology company suing Rudy Giuliani and others for defamation over their role in spreading 2020 election lies, alleged that the former New York City mayor is using bogus excuses to avoid turning over documents in the case.
The company said Giuliani, a former personal attorney for Donald Trump, has not submitted any files, apart from two tweets, in essence defying their request, which was made over a year ago, according to CNN.
“‘The dog ate my homework.’ ‘I have to wash my hair.’ ‘I can’t go out, I’m sick.’ Since the dawn of time, people have made up excuses to avoid doing things they do not want to do,” the company said in a court filing. “This is exactly what Giuliani has done here.”
Smartmatic has asked a New York judge to step in and compel Giuliani to comply with their files request, among other things.
The documents in question pertain to his schemes to undermine the 2020 election results as well as his Fox News guest appearances, CNN said.
Other defendants named in Smartmatic’s suit are Fox News as well as hosts Maria Bartiromo, Lou Dobbs and Jeanine Pirro, and another lawyer involved in Trump’s efforts to reverse the 2020 election result, Sidney Powell.
The $2.7 billion lawsuit alleges the company was irreparably harmed by baseless claims that it was somehow interfering with the 2020 contest.
“The predictable and natural result of the Defendants’ disinformation campaign was to destroy Smartmatic’s reputation, undermine confidence in Smartmatic’s election technology and software, and put people’s lives in danger,” the lawsuit said.
Giuliani is facing several legal setbacks over his decision to lead Trump’s effort to stay in office despite his defeat.
He is reportedly the person listed as “Co-Conspirator 1,” “an attorney who was willing to spread knowingly false claims and pursue strategies that the Defendant’s 2020 re-election campaign attorneys would not,” in Trump’s indictment related to the election, culminating in the events of Jan. 6, 2021.
Justice Department investigators also questioned a former New York City police commissioner who teamed up with Giuliani to prove baseless allegations of election fraud earlier this week. Bernie Kerik was reportedly asked several questions about his work with Giuliani.
The former mayor has received a target letter in Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ probe into the scheme to reverse Joe Biden’s win in Georgia. Willis will reportedly present her case to a grand jury next week.
Giuliani is still refusing to admit he should be held responsible for statements he made about two Georgia poll workers, despite having previously conceded that those statements were false.
Meanwhile, he has been sued by a former employee who alleges he coerced her into sex and failed to pay her wages amounting to about $2 million.