Newly unsealed court documents tied to Smartmatic’s $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News have cracked open the veneer of unity at the network—exposing behind-the-scenes feuds, political maneuvering, and an uncomfortable entanglement with Donald Trump’s inner circle.

The documents show a rift between the two, after being made public as part of voting technology company Smartmatic's $2.7 billion lawsuit against the network. The two are seen on the set of Pirro's old show Justice with Judge Jeanine

At the heart of the revelations: Judge Jeanine Pirro, who derided fellow primetime star Sean Hannity as an “egomaniac” in text messages, boasted of her influence on Trump, and privately expressed frustration over her husband’s delayed presidential pardon.

The Washington Post obtained the messages, which detail how Pirro positioned herself as both Trump ally and party loyalist, often clashing with Fox News leadership and even fellow anchors as she pushed unfounded claims of election fraud.

Pirro vs. Hannity: Ego Clash in Trump’s Oval Office

After criticizing him, Pirro told Hannity - seen here interviewing Trump at a rally in 2018 - that she had made several demands of management after an episode of 'Justice with Judge Jeanine' was scrapped. He complimented her in return

One text exchange captures Pirro venting after an Oval Office meeting in October 2020 with Trump and Hannity. She complained Hannity “stormed in like he owns the place,” commandeered the president’s bathroom, and dismissed everyone else in the room.

“It’s all abt him, period. No one else matters. Egomaniac,” she wrote, laying bare simmering resentment toward Fox’s highest-rated host.

Yet just weeks later, after her own show was pulled amid internal concerns about her coverage of election fraud, Pirro texted Hannity in all caps: “I’M TIRED OF THE CENSORSHIP AND I’M EMBARRASSED BY HOW THEY CALLED THIS ELECTION.”

The contradiction underscores the tense, shifting alliances inside Fox during the volatile post-election period.

Pirro’s Boasts—and Her Pardon Battle

Pirro's spouse, Albert Pirro, was the last to be pardoned by Trump during his first term, after a series of tax crimes that saw him sentenced to more than two years. 'I DON’T CARE [ABOUT] ANYONE ELSE,' Pirro told Eric Trump in one message. The couple are seen together in 2000

In other messages, Pirro bragged to then-RNC chair Ronna McDaniel: “I’m the Number 1 watched show on all news cable all weekend. I work so hard for the President and party.”

But private frustrations also surfaced. Pirro pressed Eric Trump about why disgraced NYPD commissioner Bernard Kerik had been pardoned before her husband, Albert Pirro. “I DON’T CARE [ABOUT] ANYONE ELSE,” she wrote, blasting Kerik as a “selfish b***ard.”

Albert Pirro was ultimately pardoned by Trump in January 2021 after serving prison time for tax fraud.

A Direct Line to Trump’s Election Lawyers

The filings further claim Pirro acted as a conduit between Fox and Trump’s legal team, particularly Sidney Powell, who spearheaded efforts to overturn the election.

In one November 2020 text to Powell, Pirro touted a supposed source about Dominion Voting Systems, then encouraged: “Keep fighting.”

Her producer, Jerry Andrews, reportedly warned her to avoid such claims on-air. Pirro fumed in private but later admitted under oath that the 2020 election was “fair and free” and that Biden was “legitimately elected.”

Fox on Trial—Again

Fox News slammed the suit in a statement, saying, 'The evidence shows that Smartmatic’s business and reputation were badly suffering long before any claims by President Trump’s lawyers on FOX News'

Smartmatic argues Pirro’s conduct highlights how Fox News personalities amplified falsehoods to protect their standing with Trump. The company is seeking billions in damages, similar to the $787.5 million settlement Fox reached with Dominion Voting Systems last year.

Fox, for its part, blasted the Smartmatic case as overblown, pointing to corruption allegations against the company. In a statement, the network accused Smartmatic of inflating its damages and trying to “chill free speech,” adding: “We are eager and ready to continue defending our press freedoms.”

A Network Under Pressure

A Los Angeles Times report Wednesday detailed how federal prosecutors have filed a corruption case against the company, which has a contract with LA County. It claims the company purposely overbilled LA County for extra cash used to bribe government officials

The court documents, running over 400 pages, depict a network torn between its editorial standards and the political loyalties of some of its stars. For Pirro, the dual roles of Fox host and Trump confidante blurred to the point of personal entanglement.

Her clashes with Hannity, her lobbying for her husband’s pardon, and her repeated insistence on amplifying baseless claims paint a portrait of a figure consumed by both ambition and loyalty.

As Smartmatic presses forward, Fox faces renewed scrutiny—not only over its coverage, but over the personal rivalries and political maneuvering that shaped it.

What remains to be seen is whether this legal battle will further unravel the facade of Fox’s united front—or confirm what these documents already suggest: that even at the height of Trump-era loyalty, its biggest stars were privately at war with each other.