In a significant development in media accountability, Newsmax, a conservative television network, has agreed to pay $67 million to settle a defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems. The settlement, disclosed in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday, August 18, 2025, comes after Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis ruled that Newsmax defamed the Denver-based voting equipment company by broadcasting false claims about its role in the 2020 presidential election. The agreement was reached on Friday, averting a trial that would have determined whether Newsmax acted with malice and the extent of damages owed according to a report from the AP.
The lawsuit stemmed from Newsmax’s coverage of baseless conspiracy theories propagated by allies of former President Donald Trump, who falsely claimed Dominion’s voting machines manipulated the 2020 election to secure Joe Biden’s victory. Internal Newsmax communications, revealed during the case, showed employees, including host Bob Sellers, questioning the validity of these claims as early as two days after the election was called for Biden. Sellers wrote, “How long are we going to play along with election fraud?” Even Newsmax owner Chris Ruddy, a Trump ally, privately expressed unease about Trump’s meetings with attorney Sidney Powell, who pushed unfounded allegations, including a bizarre theory linking Dominion to deceased Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez.
Judge Davis, who also presided over a similar case involving Fox News, had ruled that Newsmax’s airing of these falsehoods constituted defamation. While the question of malice was set to be decided by a jury, the settlement preempted further litigation. In a statement, Newsmax defended its coverage, asserting it was “fair, balanced, and conducted within professional standards of journalism” to present both sides of the 2020 election disputes. Dominion, however, expressed satisfaction with the resolution, with a spokesperson stating the company was “pleased to have settled the lawsuit.”
The settlement coincides with renewed election-related rhetoric from Trump, who, after returning to office, vowed on social media to eliminate mail-in ballots and voting machines like those supplied by Dominion. Legal experts question the feasibility of such actions, given the decentralized nature of U.S. elections. Trump’s broader efforts to challenge the 2020 election results have consistently faltered, with dozens of lawsuits dismissed, including by judges he appointed, and multiple recounts affirming Biden’s victory.
The Dominion case also highlighted Trump’s ongoing legal battles. Earlier this year, he issued an executive order targeting Susman Godfrey, the law firm representing Dominion in both the Newsmax and Fox cases, barring its clients from federal contracts and its staff from federal buildings. A federal judge swiftly blocked this order, calling it a “shocking abuse of power.” Additionally, Trump pardoned individuals involved in the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack and ordered a Justice Department investigation into Chris Krebs, his former cybersecurity official who vouched for the 2020 election’s integrity.
The Newsmax-Dominion settlement underscores the legal and financial consequences for media outlets that amplify unverified claims, particularly in the polarized landscape of election coverage. While Newsmax avoided a trial, the $67 million payout marks another chapter in the ongoing fallout from 2020 election misinformation.
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