Newsmax to Pay $67 Million in Defamation Settlement
Conservative network Newsmax has agreed to pay $67 million to settle a lawsuit brought by Dominion Voting Systems, which accused the outlet of spreading false claims about the 2020 presidential election. The settlement was disclosed in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
This follows Fox News’s $787.5 million settlement in 2023 and Newsmax’s earlier $40 million settlement with Smartmatic, another voting machine company targeted by election conspiracy theories.
Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis previously ruled that Newsmax defamed Dominion by broadcasting false allegations. A jury trial was set to determine whether the network acted with malice and what damages Dominion deserved, but the settlement was reached beforehand.
Internal records revealed that Newsmax executives and staff knew the claims were false, even as the network leaned into them to appeal to Trump supporters. Communications showed concern among employees about false allegations promoted by Trump allies, including Sidney Powell, while acknowledging the business opportunity in serving an audience unwilling to accept Joe Biden’s victory.
The conspiracy theories aired on Newsmax included baseless claims linking Dominion to foreign actors. By December 2020, the network had retracted some of the most extreme allegations.
Despite repeated losses in court and confirmation from recounts, audits, and Republican-led reviews that Biden won, Trump and his allies continued to insist the election was stolen. Former Attorney General William Barr and numerous officials affirmed there was no evidence of widespread fraud.
Since returning to office, Trump has pardoned individuals convicted in connection with the January 6th attack and directed investigations into officials who defended the integrity of the 2020 election. He also attempted to bar Susman Godfrey, the law firm representing Dominion, from federal contracts and facilities. A federal judge blocked that move, describing it as an abuse of power.