Dominion Voting Systems employee sues Trump campaign for defamation

[December 23, 2020]  (Reuters) - An senior employee of Dominion Voting Systems has sued President Donald Trump's re-election campaign in a Colorado court for spreading false conspiracy theories related to November's presidential election that Trump lost to Democrat Joe Biden.

Eric Coomer, director of product strategy and security for the voting technology company, sued Trump's campaign and senior associates, including attorney Sidney Powell and the president's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, for defamation, according to a court document dated Dec. 22 reported by Colorado Public Radio.

The filing with the state District Court in Denver said the defendants, including pro-Trump news outlets One America News Network and Newsmax Media, made baseless assertions that Coomer "sits at the center of a national conspiracy to fraudulently elect the President of the United States."

The lawsuit claims that Trump's campaign and its agents "manufactured and spread a false narrative" that Dominion "conspired to rig its equipment and the election in favor of President-Elect Biden", which led to "devastating consequences", including death threats which forced Coomer to leave his home for fear of his safety.

"Defendants, by their actions, have elevated Dr. Coomer into the national spotlight, invaded his privacy, threatened his security, and fundamentally defamed his reputation across this country," the document said.

Trump, who has refused to concede his election defeat and continues to make baseless claims of widespread voter fraud, has routinely lost court cases that he and his supporters have filed around the country to try to overturn the election results.

Eric Cooper, director of product strategy for Dominion Voting Systems, demonstrates one of the company's voting machines in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania April 26, 2018. REUTERS/Sharon Bernstein/File Photo

Trump's campaign did not immediately respond to Reuters request for a comment on the lawsuit. A call to Powell's law office in Texas was not answered after business hours.

Reuters was unable to reach Giuliani for comment.

Herring Networks Inc, the owner of One America News, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A call to Newsmax's office was not answered outside of business hours.

Reuters and other news media have debunked various claims spread widely on social media after the Nov. 3 election that Dominion was linked to election fraud.

Biden is set to be inaugurated as president on Jan. 20.

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