Newsmax, the conservative cable channel that rose to fame for echoing Trump’s baseless 2020 election claims, has agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems $67 million to end a defamation lawsuit.
Dominion filed the case in 2021, accusing Newsmax of spreading false stories that its machines were rigged against Trump and in favor of Joe Biden. A Delaware judge already ruled the statements were defamatory, setting the stage for a trial. But instead of battling it out in court, the network chose to settle.
The agreement will be paid in installments over the next three years, according to Newsmax, which says the money will come from revenue. Despite the settlement, the network defended its coverage, calling it “fair and balanced.”
Newsmax, a smaller conservative media outlet, became a favorite in Trump’s circle after the 2020 election when it leaned heavily into his claims of widespread fraud and skepticism about the pandemic. That loyalty helped boost its profile, but it’s now costing the channel tens of millions.
