Summary
Newsmax has reached a settlement with Smartmatic over false claims related to the 2020 election. This agreement comes just before jury selection was set to begin in a defamation case that has been ongoing since 2021, where Newsmax faced significant financial risks. The terms of the settlement have not been disclosed.
The settlement follows a pattern of legal actions against media outlets and individuals who propagated claims of election fraud after the 2020 presidential election. Smartmatic, along with Dominion Voting Systems, was a target of misinformation campaigns that accused them of manipulating election results to favor Democrats. Dominion previously settled a lawsuit with Fox News for $787.5 million, highlighting the financial repercussions for spreading false claims. In the wake of these events, skepticism about U.S. voting systems continues to be a significant issue, with prominent figures like Elon Musk and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene recently reviving similar conspiracy theories. Despite these ongoing discussions, studies have shown that voter fraud is extremely rare, and the 2020 election was considered highly secure.
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Newsmax agrees to last-minute settlement with Smartmatic over 2020 election lies: report
Sep. 26 / Raw Story / Highlights the urgency of Newsmax's settlement with Smartmatic, providing context on the ongoing defamation case and the broader implications for media accountability in election misinformation. A concise overview. “ Right-wing cable news network Newsmax has reportedly agreed to a settlement with voting technology company Smartmatic over false claims that it aired in the...