Newsmax, the conservative cable network, has settled a defamation lawsuit by agreeing to pay Dominion Voting Systems $67 million. The lawsuit was centered on false allegations during the 2020 U.S. presidential election. This settlement was disclosed following a string of similar legal challenges faced by other media outlets over misinformation related to election integrity.

Dominion, known for its role in election technology, was a key player in the 2020 elections which saw a significant uptick in mail-in and electronic voting due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following President Joe Biden’s victory, some conservative platforms, including Newsmax, aired unfounded accusations that Dominion's voting machines were tampered with to skew the election results in favor of Biden. This led Dominion to take legal action against several of these outlets, including a notable lawsuit against Fox News, which culminated in a nearly $790 million settlement in April 2023.

In April 2021, Dominion filed a lawsuit against Newsmax, asserting that the network had propagated baseless conspiracy theories. Prominent figures aligned with former President Donald Trump, such as Sidney Powell and Mike Lindell, were often featured on Newsmax, where they championed these claims. The Delaware Superior Court, in a recent ruling, declared Newsmax’s statements as defamatory per se and patently false, though it left open questions about actual malice and specific damages.

Newsmax’s decision to settle was made public through SEC filings last week, with the network subsequently issuing a statement. In it, Newsmax suggested that the settlement was not an acknowledgment of wrongdoing but a strategic move to avoid an unfair trial, criticizing the presiding judge’s alleged partiality. The network expressed concerns that the judge's preliminary rulings had disadvantaged their defense strategy.

This settlement underscores the ongoing repercussions of the spread of electoral misinformation and highlights the legal risks media companies face when endorsing or propagating baseless claims. The case also reflects broader tensions and challenges within the U.S. judicial and electoral systems, particularly in the aftermath of contentious elections.