Smartmatic, Newsmax Settle Defamation Lawsuit Over 2020 Election Claims

In a recent development, voting technology company Smartmatic and conservative cable network Newsmax have settled a defamation lawsuit, thereby averting a trial due next week.

What Happened: The specifics of the confidential settlement remain undisclosed. The agreement was reached during the jury selection phase of the trial, The Washington Post reported on Friday.

A representative from Newsmax stated, “Newsmax is pleased to announce it has resolved the litigation brought by Smartmatic through a confidential settlement.”

Earlier this year, Smartmatic had also settled a similar lawsuit against One America News for an undisclosed sum. The company is currently involved in a lawsuit against Fox News, with the trial expected to commence next year.

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Why It Matters: This trial would have been a landmark case, as it would have been the first instance of a jury considering whether a cable news network made defamatory remarks about a voting technology company in relation to the 2020 election.

Smartmatic had zeroed in on 24 specific claims made on Newsmax that it considered defamatory. The company has consistently stated that it was only active in Los Angeles County during the 2020 election, and thus could not have been involved in a nationwide conspiracy to sway the election in favor of President Joe Biden.

Newsmax, a Florida-based network, has consistently maintained that it was merely reporting on allegations made by figures associated with the Trump campaign, which it deemed newsworthy. The network is still facing a defamation lawsuit in Delaware from Dominion, but that case is not close to trial.

In 2020, Newsmax CEO Christopher Rudy stated that the network was not actively looking to sell itself and was open to featuring outgoing President Donald Trump in a weekly show after his term ended.

Furthermore, the accurate election forecasts of data scientist Thomas Miller of Northwestern University, who uses data from political betting sites for his predictions.

Did You Know?

• Congress Is Making Huge Investments. Get Tips On What They Bought And Sold Ahead Of The 2024 Election With Our Easy-to-Use Tool

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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Pooja Rajkumari