Newsmax and Smartmatic settle 2020 election defamation case on eve of trial
Pro-Trump Cable Channel Settles Major 2020 Election Defamation Lawsuit #
A pro-Trump cable channel has settled a significant 2020 election defamation lawsuit with a voting technology company in a last-minute agreement to avoid a high-stakes trial that posed a substantial risk to the small outlet.
The network announced that it had resolved the litigation through a confidential settlement. The terms of the settlement were not immediately known. The deal comes hours after jury selection began in a Wilmington, Delaware, courtroom ahead of opening statements scheduled for Monday.
A loss at trial could have put the cable channel on the hook to pay tens of millions of dollars to the voting technology company, potentially putting the small cable channel in financial peril. An attorney for the network had previously described the case as a “bet-your-company” situation.
This settlement is the latest in a series of 2020 election defamation cases to reach out-of-court agreements before trial. Previously, other media outlets have settled similar cases for substantial sums, with one notable settlement reaching $787 million. These cases all revolve around claims made about the 2020 election.
The cable channel still faces a separate defamation lawsuit over similar claims filed by another voting technology company. The network denies all wrongdoing in this ongoing case.