Newsmax says it has reached a settlement in a defamation lawsuit filed by Smartmatic, averting a civil trial that was scheduled to begin in earnest next week.
Terms of the settlement were not disclosed, but the 11th-hour accord echoes the $787 million settlement Fox News forged with Dominion Voting Systems, which came abruptly as a jury was being seated in April of last year.
“Newsmax is pleased to announce it has resolved the litigation brought by Smartmatic through a confidential settlement,” the outlet said in a statement.
Smartmatic sued over Newsmax’s promotion of claims that the company was involved in rigging the 2020 presidential election. Smartmatic had only provided services in Los Angeles County.
The lawsuit accused Newsmax of knowingly airing false claims about the company’s involvement in election fraud in multiple reports during November and December 2020. Jury selection was already underway in a Delaware court and opening statements were set for Monday. The trial was expected to last a month.
Newsmax argued it was merely covering allegations made by Trump and his supporters, saying the lawsuit posed a threat to freedom of speech. Smartmatic settled a similar defamation claim against One America News Network in April, and its lawsuit against Fox Corp. and Fox News is scheduled for trial in 2025.
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