After several years of litigation, Newsmax and Dominion Voting Systems have reached a settlement in a lawsuit about statements aired on the network in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election.
In August 2021, Dominion Voting Systems launched a lawsuit claiming that Newsmax knowingly and maliciously aired lies about the validity of the 2020 presidential election, with guests, contributors, and on-air personalities stating that the election machine company was involved in a conspiracy to ensure President Donald Trump did not win the election.
On Monday, it was revealed that Newsmax and Dominion Voting Systems had agreed to a $67 million settlement. That settlement comes on the heels of the verdict provided earlier this year in a Delaware court that a judge ruled the network did air defamatory statements about Dominion after the 2020 election.
As part of the settlement, Newsmax agreed to pay in three separate installments. The first installment — $27 million — was due last week, while $20 million will be paid on or before January 15, 2026, and another $20 million will be paid on or before January 15, 2027.
In a statement, Dominion said, “We are pleased to have settled this matter.”
A Newsmax spokesperson told Barrett Media that the network will not be required to provide an on-air apology, retraction, or acknowledgment of its claims made about the company as part of the settlement.
“Newsmax believed it was critically important for the American people to hear both sides of the election disputes that arose in 2020,” the company said in its statement. “We stand by our coverage as fair, balanced, and conducted within professional standards of journalism.”
It added that it viewed the rulings by Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis as “strongly” favoring Dominion and that it “limited Newsmax’s ability to defend itself.”
“The Delaware Court under Judge Davis effectively enforced a confiscation of our property because our reporting was not always sympathetic to Joe Biden,” Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy said. “The actions taken against Newsmax, and earlier against Fox News, represent a direct attack on free speech and a free press.”
The $67 million settlement comes after Newsmax reached a similar agreement with election machine company Smartmatic earlier this year for $40 million.
It is not the first time Dominion has reached a settlement with a cable news company. In 2023, Fox News and the election machine company agreed to a settlement moments before the lawsuit was set to begin trial. Fox News settled the case for $787.5 million.
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