Newsmax Settles $67 Million Defamation Lawsuit with Dominion Over 2020 Election Claims
Newsmax settled a $67 million defamation lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems, resolving claims of airing false 2020 election information. This payment avoids an October trial.
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Overview
- Newsmax settled a $67 million defamation lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems, addressing claims that the network broadcasted false information about the 2020 election.
- The settlement requires Newsmax to pay $27 million immediately, with an additional $40 million over the next two years, thereby preventing an upcoming October trial.
- This agreement follows a similar, larger $787.5 million settlement between Fox News and Dominion in 2023, both stemming from unproven allegations of election rigging.
- Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis had previously ruled that Newsmax defamed Dominion, establishing the network's liability even before the settlement was reached.
- Evidence showed Newsmax officials were aware the claims about Dominion's voting machines were unfounded, contributing to the significant defamation payout.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the Newsmax settlement as accountability for spreading "baseless" and "false" election fraud claims. They emphasize judicial rulings and internal communications showing Newsmax knew the claims were untrue, juxtaposing this with Newsmax's denials. The coverage consistently reinforces the narrative that the 2020 election claims were unsubstantiated.
"The conservative network Newsmax will pay $67 million to settle a lawsuit accusing it of defaming a voting equipment company by spreading lies about President Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss."
Fortune"The settlement comes after Fox News Channel paid $787.5 million to settle a similar lawsuit in 2023 and Newsmax paid what court papers describe as $40 million to settle a libel lawsuit from a different voting machine manufacturer, Smartmatic, which also was a target of pro-Trump conspiracy theories on the network."
CBS News"The settlement averts what promised to be a high-profile trial."
NBC News"The settlement comes after Fox News Channel paid $787.5 million to settle a similar lawsuit in 2023 and Newsmax paid what court papers describe as $40 million to settle a libel lawsuit from a different voting machine manufacturer, Smartmatic, which also was a target of pro-Trump conspiracy theories on the network."
Associated Press"Voting machine company Dominion Voting Systems has settled its defamation lawsuit against conservative media outlet Newsmax for $67 million, according to an SEC filing from the outlet."
ABC News"Newsmax will pay $67 million to settle one of the last outstanding defamation lawsuits against a news organization for airing false claims that the 2020 election was rigged."
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FAQ
Newsmax agreed to pay $67 million to Dominion Voting Systems in three installments: $27 million immediately, followed by $20 million on or before January 15, 2026, and another $20 million on or before January 15, 2027, thereby avoiding a trial scheduled for October.
The settlement follows a Delaware Superior Court judge's ruling that Newsmax defamed Dominion by broadcasting false claims about Dominion's voting machines in the 2020 election, and evidence showed Newsmax officials knew the claims were unfounded, leading to the decision to settle rather than face trial.
Newsmax's $67 million settlement is smaller than the $787.5 million settlement reached by Fox News with Dominion in 2023, but larger than a $40 million settlement Newsmax previously paid to Smartmatic in a similar defamation case relating to 2020 election claims.
No, Newsmax denied that its coverage constituted defamation, stood by its journalism as fair and balanced, and the settlement did not require Newsmax to issue an on-air retraction or apology to Dominion.
The settlement highlights ongoing legal repercussions media outlets face over false 2020 election claims, coming at a time when former President Trump was publicly seeking to eliminate mail-in ballots and voting machines like those supplied by Dominion, underscoring continuing controversies around election integrity.
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