Judge tosses Sidney Powell's counterclaims in Dominion defamation case - Reuters

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• Dominion's defamation lawsuit not an "abuse of process," judge said
• Trump ally Powell being sued for $1.3 billion over election fraud claims

(Reuters) - A Washington, D.C., federal judge on Wednesday dismissed claims by conservative lawyer Sidney Powell that Dominion Voting Systems Inc abused the legal system by bringing a $1.3 billion defamation lawsuit against her.

Dominion sued Powell in January 2021, alleging she falsely claimed the voting machine company rigged the 2020 election against former President Donald Trump. Powell countersued last year, claiming Dominion filed the lawsuit "to punish and make an example" of her.

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols threw out Powell's claims in a brief order. He said that filing a lawsuit alone is not an "abuse of process," as Powell asserted.

Powell and her attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"We are pleased to see this process moving forward to hold Sidney Powell accountable," a Dominion spokesperson told Reuters.

Nichols last year rejected efforts by Powell and fellow Trump allies Rudy Giuliani and Mike Lindell to dismiss Dominion's defamation claims. Each of them is named in separate Dominion lawsuits.

Dominion has also sued Fox News Network and other conservative news outlets, alleging they gave a platform to false statements about its role in the 2020 election. Fox News is fighting the lawsuit and has called the claims "baseless."

Powell is separately facing ethics charges from legal regulators in Texas, who allege that lawsuits she filed seeking to overturn the 2020 election results were "frivolous."

The case is US Dominion Inc v. Powell, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, No. 21-cv-00040.

For Dominion: Thomas Clare of Clare & Locke; and Stephen Shackelford of Susman Godfrey

For Powell: Marc Casarino of Kennedys Law

Read more:

Trump allies including Giuliani lose bid to dismiss Dominion vote machine lawsuits

Fox News parent must face defamation lawsuit over election coverage

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Jacqueline Thomsen

Thomson Reuters

Jacqueline Thomsen, based in Washington, D.C., covers legal news related to policy, the courts and the legal profession. Follow her on Twitter at @jacq_thomsen and email her at jacqueline.thomsen@thomsonreuters.com.

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