Skip to main content
Politics

Smartmatic-Newsmax reach last-minute settlement in defamation suit

Share

With jury selection underway on Thursday, Sept. 26, in voting machine company Smartmatic’s case against Newsmax over false claims of election fraud, the two parties announced that a settlement had been reached. However, the details of the settlement were kept private.

Media Landscape

See who else is reporting on this story and which side of the political spectrum they lean. To read other sources, click on the plus signs below. Learn more about this data
Left 39% Center 49% Right 13%
Bias Distribution Powered by Ground News

Newsmax released a statement saying that it’s “pleased to announce it has resolved the litigation,” while Smartmatic announced in a statement, “Lying to the American people has consequences. Smartmatic will not stop until the perpetrators are held accountable.”

The last-minute agreement avoids a trial destined to become a public spectacle. The voting tech company said that Newsmax knowingly aired false news of Smartmatic allegedly trying to swing the 2020 presidential election in President Joe Biden’s favor and spread lies about the company’s role in the election.

QR code for SAN app download

Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.

Point phone camera here

The Smartmatic-Newsmax case is one of multiple legal challenges stemming from conspiracy theories involving the 2020 presidential election.

Smartmatic provided voting services to just one California county in that election. However, the company got lumped in with Dominion Voting Systems in a series of false claims of voter fraud promoted by former President Donald Trump.

Newsmax argues that it was just covering allegations made by Trump and his allies, which cast doubt on the election results. The outlet said that the suit “threatens freedom of speech and freedom of the press.”

Smartmatic settled a similar defamation suit in April with One America News Network, which involved an undisclosed amount of money.

Meanwhile, a Smartmatic’s defamation case trial against Fox News and its parent company is set to get underway in New York in 2025.

A similar case brought against Fox News last year by Dominion Voting Systems resulted in the network agreeing to pay the tech company nearly $790 million in a lawsuit settlement. The deal was struck just minutes before opening statements were set to be made in the trial.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

[KARAH RUCKER]

WITH JURY SELECTION UNDERWAY THURSDAY, VOTING MACHINE COMPANY SMARTMATIC SETTLED ITS DEFAMATION LAWSUIT AGAINST NEWSMAX OVER FALSE CLAIMS OF ELECTION FRAUD.

THE DETAILS OF THE SETTLEMENT WERE KEPT PRIVATE WITH NEWSMAX SAYING IT’S “PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE IT HAS RESOLVED THE LITIGATION.”

AND SMARTMATIC STATING, “LYING TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAS CONSEQUENCES. SMARTMATIC WILL NOT STOP UNTIL THE PERPETRATORS ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.”

THE LAST-MINUTE SETTLEMENT AVOIDS A TRIAL DESTINED TO BECOME A PUBLIC SPECTACLE.

THE COMPANY SAYS NEWSMAX KNOWINGLY AIRED FALSE NEWS OF SMARTMATIC TRYING TO SWING THE 2020 ELECTION IN JOE BIDEN’S FAVOR AND SPREAD LIES ABOUT THE COMPANY’S ROLE IN THE ELECTION.

THE SMARTMATIC-NEWSMAX CASE IS ONE OF MULTIPLE LEGAL CHALLENGES STEMMING FROM MISINFORMATION IN THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

SMARTMATIC PROVIDED VOTING SERVICES TO JUST ONE CALIFORNIA COUNTY IN THAT ELECTION BUT GOT LUMPED IN WITH DOMINION IN A SERIES OF FALSE CLAIMS OF VOTER FRAUD PROMOTED BY FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP.

NEWSMAX ARGUED IT WAS JUST COVERING ALLEGATIONS MADE BY TRUMP AND HIS ALLIES, WHICH CAST DOUBT ON THE ELECTION RESULTS. THE OUTLET SAID THE SUIT “THREATENS FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND FREEDOM OF THE PRESS.”

SMARTMATIC SETTLED A SIMILAR DEFAMATION SUIT THIS SPRING WITH ONE AMERICA NEWS NETWORK, WHICH INVOLVED AN UNDISCLOSED AMOUNT OF MONEY.

A SMARTMATIC LAWSUIT AGAINST FOX NEWS AND ITS PARENT COMPANY IS SCHEDULED FOR TRIAL IN NEW YORK IN 2025.

FOR MORE ON THIS STORY– AND UPDATES ON THE 2024 ELECTION– DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT SAN DOT COM.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M KARAH RUCKER.