Dominion Voting Systems receive a $67 million settlement from Newsmax due to the network's false claims about the 2020 election results.
The cable news channel Newsmax has agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems a settlement of $67 million to resolve a defamation lawsuit filed by the voting hardware and software company. The lawsuit, which was lodged in August 2021, stemmed from allegations that Newsmax spread false and damaging claims about Dominion's role in the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
The settlement, which was struck last week and disclosed in a Newsmax financial filing on Monday, includes a payment of $27 million this month, followed by $20 million each on or before January 15, 2026, and January 15, 2027. The specific details of how Newsmax and Dominion arrived at the $67 million sum are not immediately known.
Dominion accused Newsmax of "manufacturing, endorsing, repeating, and broadcasting a series of verifiably false yet devastating lies" related to election fraud. These claims were part of a wave of pro-Trump conspiracy theories that targeted Dominion in the aftermath of the 2020 election.
Newsmax has denied that its coverage was defamatory, stating that it reported on "newsworthy allegations made by public figures" and that it was "critically important for the American people to hear both sides of the election disputes that arose in 2020." However, a Delaware judge ruled that Newsmax aired defamatory statements about Dominion.
The settlement resolves the dispute without a trial, but it does not include a required public retraction or apology from Newsmax. A Dominion spokesperson told CNN that they are pleased to have settled this matter.
This settlement follows a similar defamation lawsuit that Dominion brought against Fox News, which resulted in a much larger $787.5 million settlement in 2023. Newsmax had also previously settled a defamation suit with another voting machine company, Smartmatic, for $40 million last fall, on the eve of a trial. Smartmatic is also pursuing a defamation suit against Newsmax.
Despite the settlement, Newsmax's TV ratings are roughly one-tenth of Fox's ratings. The lawsuit was related to egregious lies about the 2020 presidential election that were spread by Newsmax, and it marks a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to hold those responsible for these smears accountable.
Nearly five years after the pro-Trump campaign to overturn the results of the 2020 election, some lawsuits by victims of these smears continue to wind their way through the courts. As the dust settles, it becomes increasingly clear that the pursuit of truth and justice is a long and arduous journey.
- The settlement between Newsmax and Dominion Voting Systems, worth $67 million, is a part of the media landscape, as it involves a cable news channel and a company that provides voting hardware and software.
- The agreement between Newsmax and Dominion also intersects with the realm of politics and finance, as the settlement is a significant financial transaction, with payments to be made over several years.
- This settlement, along with Dominion's previous lawsuits against Fox News and Smartmatic, is also linked to the genre of general-news and crime-and-justice, as it deals with defamation resulting from false allegations and conspiracy theories.
