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Dominion Voting Systems has been purchased by Liberty Vote, a firm headed by a former GOP election official with ties to a staunch ally of President Donald Trump — just weeks after Dominion settled several defamation lawsuits it filed in the wake of the 2020 election.
According to a report by Axios’ Alex Isenstadt, Dominion was purchased “for an undisclosed sum” by Liberty Vote, a company owned by Scott Leiendecker. Isendstadt’s article highlights Leiendecker’s “deep Republican connections“:
Matt Blunt, who was then Missouri’s Republican secretary of state, appointed Leiendecker to a role investigating St. Louis’ elections administration after the 2000 election.As governor, Blunt later appointed Leiendecker to be St. Louis’ Republican election director.Ed Martin, a loyal Trump surrogate, was St. Louis’ Board of Elections’ chair when Leiendecker was the city’s election director.
“Liberty does appear to be aligning itself with Trump’s vision for a paper ballot-centered election system,” wrote Isenstadt, and the corporate acquisition seems to have resulted
In the wake of the 2020 election, Trump and his supporters pushed a series of baseless claims of election fraud that were aired and promoted by several conservative media outlets, including Fox News, Newsmax, and OANN. Dominion’s lawsuit against Fox News and several of its on-air personalities settled on the morning of trial in April 2023 for a whopping $787.5 million. Smartmatic, another voting technology company, has also filed lawsuits against Fox News and other media outlets and commentators.
In recent weeks, Dominion has settled several of these defamation lawsuits for undisclosed sums, including against Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, and OANN.
Isenstadt directly connected these settlements to the sale to Liberty, writing that “[a]s part of its deal with Dominion, Liberty officials asked Dominion to settle several other defamation lawsuits against Trump allies who attacked the company over the 2020 election results.”
Business Insider legal correspondent Jacob Shamsian posted a press release from Leiendecker that announced Liberty’s “historic deal” to acquire Dominion.
The text of the press release stated (emphasis in original):LIBERTY VOTE ACQUIRES DOMINION VOTING SYSTEMS IN HISTORIC DEAL; WILL NOW BE 100% AMERICAN OWNEDScott Leiendecker, Founder & Chairman, Leads Charge to Restore Confidence, Transparency, and Trust in U.S. ElectionsST. LOUIS, MO – As of today, Dominion is gone. Liberty Vote assumes full ownership and operational control.
In a bold and historic move to transform and improve election integrity in America, Liberty Vote, led by nationally recognized election reform advocate Scott Leiendecker, has acquired Dominion Voting Systems.Leiendecker, founder and chairman of Liberty Vote, brings over 25 years of experience in election modernization and reform. His mission is clear: to restore public confidence in the electoral process through transparent, secure, and trustworthy voting systems, including the use of hand-marked paper ballots.”Liberty Vote signals a new chapter for American elections-one where trust is rebuilt from the ground up,” said Leiendecker. “Liberty Vote is committed to delivering election technology that prioritizes paper-based transparency, security, and simplicity so that voters can be assured that every ballot is filled-in accurately and fairly counted.”Liberty Vote will set and exceed the benchmark for delivering elections voters can trust with commitment to:100% American Ownership: Liberty Vote is committed to domestic staffing and software development.Paper Ballot Focus: Leveraging hand-marked paper ballots enabling compliance with President Trump’s executive order, and ensuring election security andcompliance with federal standards.Third-Party Auditing: Incorporating rigorous, industry-leading third-party auditing standards to verify election integrity at every step.Simplified, Transparent Systems: Designed for election officials and voters alike, with an emphasis on clarity and accountability.Liberty Vote is an election technology company dedicated to securing the democratic process through innovation, transparency, and wholly American ownership. Founded by election reform leader Scott Leiendecker, the companychampions reforms designed to ensure every American’s vote is protected and counted accurately.