A New York state appeals court rejected Fox Corp. bid to throw out a defamation lawsuit by Smartmatic over false claims that the voting technology company helped rig the 2020 presidential election. The ruling on Thursday allows the case to proceed toward trial.

The latest ruling represents a key victory for Smartmatic’s efforts to go after the right-wing media outlet over its promotion of debunked claims that the election was stolen from former President

In its initial 2024 complaint, Smartmatic accused Fox News of making “over 100 false statements and implications” about the company. Judges wrote this week that Smartmatic's claims that Fox News ran “a disinformation campaign in [its] post-election coverage” were enough to warrant a trial.