Smartmatic Settles Lawsuit With Newsmax Over 2020 Election Defamation Case
Newsmax and voting technology firm Smartmatic reached a settlement in their defamation lawsuit on Thursday. The last-minute agreement came just as jury selection began in a Delaware courtroom, with opening statements…
Newsmax and voting technology firm Smartmatic reached a settlement in their defamation lawsuit on Thursday.
The last-minute agreement came just as jury selection began in a Delaware courtroom, with opening statements slated for Monday, according to CNN. Details of the settlement remain undisclosed, but Newsmax confirmed the resolution Thursday afternoon.
“Newsmax is pleased to announce it has resolved the litigation brought by Smartmatic through a confidential settlement,” the network said in a statement.
The trial would have been the first among several lawsuits filed against conservative media outlets following the 2020 election, CNN reported. It was set to establish whether Newsmax defamed Smartmatic by falsely claiming their machines manipulated election results to disadvantage former President Donald Trump.
“We are very pleased to have secured the completion of the case against Newsmax,” Smartmatic wrote on X. “We are now looking forward to our court day against Fox Corp and Fox News for their disinformation campaign. Lying to the American people has consequences. Smartmatic will not stop until the perpetrators are held accountable.”
Smartmatic issued legal notices in December 2020 to Fox News, One America News, and Newsmax, accusing them of propagating a “disinformation campaign.” The voting technology firm alleges that these networks disseminated defamatory assertions, including by suggesting Smartmatic facilitated election rigging to favor Biden and falsely linking the company to George Soros and former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.