After years of lawsuits over false claims about the 2020 election, conservative media network Newsmax has agreed to pay $67 million to settle a defamation suit with Dominion Voting Systems. The payment follows a wave of legal fallout for networks and individuals who echoed Donald Trump’s unfounded claims of election fraud. Documents show that Newsmax knowingly aired conspiracy theories, adding to a growing body of evidence that many of Trump’s allies dismissed the truth in favor of political and business interests.
A Costly Settlement Before Trial
According to court filings disclosed Monday, Newsmax will pay Dominion Voting Systems $67 million in a settlement to avoid trial. The deal was reached last Friday and revealed in a new filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis had already ruled that Newsmax did defame Dominion, but left open the question of malice and damages for a jury to decide. That trial never came to be.
“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, defending its coverage as “fair, balanced, and conducted within professional standards of journalism.”
Dominion’s Legal Campaign Scores Another Win
Dominion Voting Systems, the Denver-based voting technology company at the center of false election fraud claims, has now secured two major defamation settlements. In 2023, it reached a $787.5 million deal with Fox News. Before the Newsmax settlement, court records also show that Newsmax had paid $40 million to Smartmatic, another voting machine company targeted in pro-Trump narratives.
A Dominion spokesperson said the company was “pleased to have settled the lawsuit,” signaling a continued effort to hold media outlets accountable for knowingly spreading misinformation.
Behind the Curtain: Newsmax’s Internal Warnings
Evidence uncovered in the lawsuit reveals that Newsmax officials were aware the fraud claims were baseless. Host Bob Sellers, in internal messages, questioned, “How long are we going to play along with election fraud?” after Biden was declared the winner. Despite warnings from staff about guests like attorney Sidney Powell, Newsmax prioritized content that aligned with Trump supporters’ beliefs.
Even network owner Chris Ruddy privately acknowledged unease, texting that he found it “scary” Trump was still meeting with Powell. These messages align with findings in the Fox case, where internal communications showed executives knew the claims were false but aired them anyway.
The Conspiracy Machine: Chavez, Machines, and Mail-in Ballots
Newsmax played a key role in spreading outlandish conspiracy theories, including claims that deceased Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez helped manipulate voting machines to favor Joe Biden. The network retracted some of these accusations in December 2020, but the damage had been done.
Meanwhile, Trump continues to champion these baseless narratives. On the same day the settlement was made public, he posted on social media vowing to eliminate voting machines and mail-in ballots — despite having no clear path to do so.
No Evidence, No Victory: Courts and Audits Uphold Results
Former Attorney General William Barr stated that there was “no evidence of widespread fraud.” Courts across the country — including Trump-appointed judges — rejected dozens of lawsuits contesting the election outcome. Multiple recounts and audits confirmed Biden’s victory.
Nonetheless, Trump has doubled down, even targeting the law firm Susman Godfrey, which represented Dominion. An executive order banning the firm’s clients from federal buildings was halted by a federal judge, who called it “a shocking abuse of power.”
Truth Comes at a Price
The $67 million settlement with Dominion underscores the real-world consequences of spreading misinformation. While Newsmax continues to defend its reporting, internal documents tell a different story — one where journalistic responsibility was sacrificed for political narrative and profit. As defamation suits close one chapter in the 2020 election saga, they also serve as a stark warning: truth still matters, even when it’s inconvenient.
