Among the many Wild Conspiracy Theories about the 2020 Election, few Rank as High, when it comes to both Baselessness and Reach, as those involving Voting Machines.
The Theory that Voting Machines were Programmed to Steal the Election from Trump had the Benefit, while being utterly without Merit, of at least being Simple and Easy for People to grasp.
Unfortunately for their Proponents, these Theories carry One very significant Drawback: Legal Liability.
While Broad Claims of Voter Fraud are relatively Unspecific and Involve many Potential Perpetrators, there are Relatively few Voting-Machine Companies.
Making such Claims Impugns them Specifically and Creates a Situation in which those Assertions can Lead to calculable Personal and Business Harm, which is Important when it comes to Suing Someone for Defamation.
Such Claims have also put Lawyers, pushing them, at Risk of incurring Professional Sanctions.
The Result is Many if Not most of the High-Profile Purveyors of such Claims have since Backed-Off.
One by one, they’ve succumbed to Legal Pressure by issuing Corrections, Clarifications, or Apologies.
And those continue through today, with Fox News and Pro-Trump Lawyer, Lin Wood, both Distancing themselves from such Claims over the past 24 hours.
On Sunday, Fox News ran an Unusual Disclaimer during Trump’s Speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), in Dallas, making clear that Voting-Machine Companies have Denied his Allegations.
“The voting system companies have denied the various allegations made by President Trump and his counsel regarding the 2020 election,” the Chyron said.
What was particularly interesting about this is that, Trump didn’t even Specifically cite Voting Machines. He instead referred obliquely to the idea of Malfeasance on Election Night, saying he had done so well “that they just said the hell with it, let it go.”
But despite the Lack of a Specific Claim, 10 seconds later, the Chyron popped up. The Episode seemed to Reinforce the Perceived Liability involved.
Fox has filed Motions to Dismiss Lawsuits against it, brought by the Two Voting-Machine Companies at issue, Dominion and Smartmatic.
Similarly, on Monday, Wood told a Federal Judge, in Michigan, that he was Not involved in a Desperate Lawsuit, filed with his name, in that State, that involved Voting Machines. “I just didn’t have anything to do with this,” Wood said during a Hearing on potential Legal Sanctions, for him and other Lawyers who pushed False Claims.
Michigan Secretary of State, Jocelyn Benson (D), summarized Wood’s Claim sarcastically: “Strong argument to make when one believes in the strength and righteousness of their case.”
While some True Believers viewed these Lawsuits as Opportunities to prove Malfeasance, once and for all, through the Discovery Process, those facing Penalties have Repeatedly left them High and Dry, almost as if the Theories were completely Baseless, in the First Place, and they didn’t have a Leg-to-Stand-On.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
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