Newsmax pays $67 million to settle Dominion lawsuit over election falsehoods
- Newsmax has settled a defamation lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems for $67 million due to false claims about the 2020 election.
- The lawsuit was filed in 2021 and initially sought $1.6 billion in damages for reputational harm.
- This settlement is part of a pattern of financial consequences faced by media outlets promoting election misinformation.
In the United States, Newsmax, a conservative media outlet, has reached a settlement with Dominion Voting Systems, agreeing to pay $67 million to resolve a defamation lawsuit. The lawsuit stemmed from allegations that Newsmax spread false claims regarding Dominion's voting machines in connection with the 2020 presidential election when President Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump. Dominion initially filed the suit in 2021, seeking $1.6 billion in damages over what it claimed were baseless accusations made by Newsmax which damaged its reputation. The settlement includes payments to be made in installments, with $27 million already paid and further amounts scheduled for January 2026 and January 2027. This agreement follows similar legal battles faced by Dominion against other conservative media companies, including Fox News, which settled for $787.5 million earlier in 2023, and Smartmatic, which reached a $40 million settlement with Newsmax in 2024. The resolutions highlight the ongoing financial repercussions faced by outlets promoting misinformation about the election. Newsmax’s defense throughout the proceedings has been that its coverage aimed to present both sides of the election disputes. However, the courts found sufficient evidence to support Dominion’s claims that Newsmax knew or should have known the allegations were false. Even as the company settles these lawsuits, it maintains that its reporting was fair and balanced, asserting that its coverage adhered to professional journalism standards. Moving forward, the implications of these settlements have raised questions about media responsibility and the limits of journalistic freedom in light of defamation laws. Despite the financial settlements, Donald Trump continues to promote theories of election fraud, which could fuel further controversy and possibly impact ongoing litigation. The developments in these cases mark a significant period in U.S. media history as the intersection of politics, law, and journalistic integrity is being scrutinized more than ever. The settlements achieved by Dominion could serve as a deterrent for other media entities potentially spreading misleading narratives without substantial evidence, perhaps changing how news is reported in future electoral cycles.