The conservative network Newsmax will pay US$67 million to settle a lawsuit accusing it of defaming a voting equipment company by spreading lies about US President Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss, according to documents filed on Monday.
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The settlement comes after Fox News Channel paid US$787.5 million to settle a similar lawsuit in 2023 and Newsmax paid what court papers describe as US$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.
Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis had ruled earlier that Newsmax did indeed defame Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems by broadcasting false information about the company and its equipment.
But Davis left it to a jury to eventually decide whether that was done with malice and, if so, how much Dominion deserved from Newsmax in damages. Newsmax and Dominion reached the settlement before the trial could take place.
The settlement was disclosed by Newsmax in a new filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. It said the deal was reached on Friday.
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“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 a statement. “We stand by our coverage as fair, balanced and conducted within professional standards of journalism.”