Newsmax Defamation Settlements: $40 Million to Smartmatic and $67 Million to Dominion for Amplifying False Election Fraud Claims
Tier 1Resolved via Settlement2020-11-03 to 2025-08-18
Factual Summary
Newsmax Media, a conservative cable news network that amplified Donald Trump's false claims about the 2020 presidential election, paid a combined $107 million in defamation settlements to two voting technology companies whose reputations were damaged by those claims. Newsmax paid $40 million to settle a lawsuit brought by Smartmatic and $67 million to settle a lawsuit brought by Dominion Voting Systems.
Following the November 2020 election, Newsmax broadcast repeated claims that Smartmatic and Dominion voting machines had been used to rig the election in favor of Joe Biden. These claims originated with Trump and his allies, including attorneys Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, and were amplified by Newsmax hosts and guests in the weeks following the election. Among the specific false claims broadcast by Newsmax were that Smartmatic was owned by the Venezuelan government, that Smartmatic technology was used to count votes in contested states (Smartmatic's technology was used only in Los Angeles County in the 2020 election), and that both companies' machines had been programmed to switch votes from Trump to Biden.
Smartmatic filed a $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit against Newsmax in 2021. The case was settled in September 2024, on the eve of a jury trial in Delaware, for $40 million. The settlement amount was disclosed in a Newsmax SEC filing in March 2025 as the network prepared for its initial public offering. As part of the settlement, Newsmax issued a statement acknowledging that Smartmatic is a U.S. company not owned by the Venezuelan government or any foreign entity, and that Smartmatic did not provide technology or services outside of Los Angeles County in the 2020 election.
Dominion Voting Systems filed a separate defamation lawsuit against Newsmax. That case was settled on August 18, 2025, for $67 million. The Dominion settlement followed the company's landmark $787.5 million settlement with Fox News in April 2023 over similar false election claims.
Trump was not a defendant in either lawsuit. However, the false claims that formed the basis of both lawsuits originated with Trump and his campaign, and Newsmax broadcast those claims as part of its coverage of Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
Primary Sources
1. Complaint, Smartmatic USA Corp. v. Newsmax Media, Inc. (Del. Super. Ct. 2021)
2. Newsmax Media, Inc. SEC filing disclosing $40 million Smartmatic settlement, March 2025
3. Complaint, US Dominion, Inc. v. Newsmax Media, Inc. (Del. Super. Ct.)
4. Newsmax press statement acknowledging Smartmatic settlement terms, September 2024
Corroborating Sources
1. CNBC: "Newsmax paid $40 million to settle defamation suit over 2020 election claims," March 13, 2025
2. NBC News: "Newsmax to pay $67M to settle defamation lawsuit from voting machine company," August 18, 2025
3. NPR: "Newsmax pays $67 million to settle defamation case linked to 2020 election coverage," August 18, 2025
4. CNN: "Newsmax agreed to pay $40 million to settle Smartmatic's 2020 election defamation lawsuit," March 14, 2025
Counterarguments and Context
Newsmax characterized its coverage as protected newsgathering, arguing that it was reporting newsworthy claims made by the president and his legal team during an active political dispute. Newsmax noted that it provided airtime to both sides and that its hosts occasionally pushed back on the most extreme claims. The network settled both lawsuits without admitting liability, and settlement is not an adjudication of wrongdoing. Supporters of Trump's position argued that questions about election integrity are matters of public concern and that media outlets should not face defamation liability for airing the views of elected officials. However, the combined $107 million in settlements, together with Fox News's $787.5 million settlement with Dominion, established that the financial and legal consequences for broadcasting demonstrably false election claims were substantial. The settlements also reinforced the factual record that the specific claims about Smartmatic and Dominion voting machines were false.
Author's Note
This entry is classified as Tier 1 because both lawsuits resulted in settlements with substantial financial payments, representing resolved legal proceedings. While Trump was not a named defendant, the entry is included because the false claims that Newsmax broadcast originated with Trump and his allies, and the settlements constitute an adjudicated record that those claims were sufficiently baseless to expose their amplifiers to hundreds of millions of dollars in combined liability. The broader pattern of media organizations paying enormous sums to settle defamation claims arising from Trump's election fraud narrative is a significant part of the factual record of the 2020 post-election period.