Newsmax has agreed to pay a substantial sum of $67 million to settle one of the remaining significant defamation lawsuits against a news organization concerning the dissemination of false claims about the 2020 presidential election. This lawsuit was initiated by Dominion Voting Systems, a Denver-based company renowned for its voting technology, which previously received a $787 million settlement from Fox News for similar issues related to election coverage.
The lawsuit against Newsmax was filed shortly after the 2020 election, where Dominion accused the cable news network of propagating false accusations that its voting technology had been manipulated to ensure Joe Biden's victory over Donald Trump. Like other right-wing media outlets, Newsmax featured various Trump allies, including former campaign lawyer Sidney Powell and My Pillow founder Mike Lindell, who perpetuated these conspiratorial narratives.
On August 15, Newsmax announced the settlement in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. According to the filing, the network paid $27 million of the settlement upfront, with the remaining balance expected to be settled by January 2027. This financial resolution comes amidst growing scrutiny and legal challenges against media outlets that have been accused of spreading misinformation regarding the 2020 election.
Numerous court rulings and investigations conducted by election officials have consistently found no evidence of widespread fraud during the 2020 election. Despite these findings, some factions of Trump's supporters continue to echo these debunked claims as the 2024 election approaches. Dominion has asserted that the false narratives surrounding the election have inflicted severe harm on the company and its employees, resulting in death threats and significant revenue loss.
A spokesperson for Dominion expressed satisfaction with the resolution, stating, "We are pleased to have settled this matter." Meanwhile, Newsmax, in its statement regarding the settlement, did not admit to any wrongdoing. The network maintained that its coverage of the 2020 election was conducted fairly and in accordance with professional journalism standards. They argued that it was crucial for the American public to hear both sides of the election disputes.
In April, Judge Eric M. Davis, who had previously overseen Dominion's case against Fox News, ruled that the statements aired on Newsmax were also false and defamatory. This ruling indicated that if the case had proceeded to trial, the jury’s role would have been confined to determining whether Newsmax acted with actual malice and the extent of damages that Dominion should receive.
Newsmax had previously settled a defamation lawsuit filed by another voting systems company, Smartmatic USA, in the wake of the 2020 election. Financial documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission revealed that Newsmax is required to pay Smartmatic the second half of a $40 million settlement by the end of June 2025. Additionally, Smartmatic is still pursuing a staggering $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News in New York state court, which could potentially go to trial in 2026.
As the media landscape continues to grapple with the implications of misinformation in the context of elections, the resolutions of these lawsuits underscore the critical importance of accountability in journalism.
