Newsmax, a right-wing news outlet, has agreed to pay Smartmatic $40 million as part of a settlement to resolve a defamation lawsuit. The settlement, reached in September, included a cash payment and an option to purchase stock in Newsmax. The media company has already made payments totaling $20 million, with the rest expected before July.
The lawsuit centered on Newsmax’s false claims that Smartmatic’s voting machines manipulated the 2020 presidential election in favor of Joe Biden. Details of the payments provide insight into the confidential settlement agreement that was not publicly available last year. Smartmatic also settled a related defamation lawsuit in April against One America News.
Smartmatic’s external lawyer, J. Erik Connolly, stated that the company is now focused on a similar case against Fox News. Fox has said it covered newsworthy events surrounding the 2020 election and has settled a defamation claim with Dominion Voting Systems for $787.5 million.
The settlement with Smartmatic will eliminate future legal expenses for Newsmax related to the lawsuit. After the settlement, Newsmax acknowledged that the claims about Smartmatic altering election results were factually false. This case highlights the legal consequences for media outlets spreading misinformation. Newsmax did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the settlement.
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