Newsmax Settles Defamation Lawsuit Over 2020 Election Claims for $67 Million
Newsmax, a prominent conservative media outlet, has agreed to pay $67 million to resolve a defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems. The lawsuit accused Newsmax of spreading falsehoods about Dominion’s role in President Donald Trump’s 2020 election defeat, according to documents submitted on Monday.
This settlement follows a series of high-profile defamation cases related to the 2020 election. Earlier this year, Fox News Channel settled a somewhat similar lawsuit for $787.5 million. Newsmax had previously resolved another libel case with Smartmatic, another voting machine company, for $40 million.
The case was overseen by Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis, who had determined that Newsmax indeed defamed Dominion by broadcasting false information. However, he left it to a jury to decide if this was done with malice and to determine the damages owed. The settlement was reached before the trial commenced.
Newsmax disclosed the settlement in a recent filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, noting that the agreement was finalized last Friday.
In a statement, Newsmax emphasized their commitment to journalistic standards, stating, “Newsmax believed it was critically important for the American people to hear both sides of the election disputes that arose in 2020.” Dominion expressed satisfaction with the settlement.
The announcement of the settlement coincided with former President Trump’s vow on social media to eliminate mail-in ballots and voting machines like those from Dominion, despite uncertainty about how such measures could be implemented.
Judge Davis, who also presided over the Dominion-Fox News case, had ruled similarly, noting that Fox News repeated numerous false claims about the 2020 election, even while internal communications revealed that Fox officials were aware the allegations were baseless. The judge described the claims as “CRYSTAL clear” falsehoods.
Meanwhile, internal communications from Newsmax suggested that their officials were aware of the misinformation they were broadcasting. Newsmax host Bob Sellers questioned the validity of election fraud claims shortly after the 2020 election results were announced, according to court documents. Newsmax capitalized on the situation, seeing a business opportunity in appealing to viewers who believed in Trump’s victory.
Newsmax’s internal documents also showed caution against airing false claims from pro-Trump guests like attorney Sidney Powell. Newsmax owner Chris Ruddy expressed concern over Trump’s interactions with Powell.
Dominion was frequently targeted in conspiracy theories aired on Newsmax, including unfounded allegations involving deceased Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. However, the network retracted some of the erroneous claims in December 2020.
Despite Trump’s persistent assertions of election fraud, substantial evidence has not been found, as underscored by lawsuits involving Fox and Newsmax. Former Attorney General William Barr noted there was no evidence of widespread election fraud.
As the Dominion trial neared, Trump issued an executive order criticizing Susman Godfrey, the law firm that managed both the Dominion and Fox cases. The order aimed to prevent government business with the firm’s clients and staff.
