Newsmax has agreed to settle a long-running defamation lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems, resolving the case for $67 million after more than three years of litigation.
In a filing Monday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Newsmax disclosed that the settlement will be paid in installments over three fiscal years and funded through company revenues. The agreement concludes a suit filed in Delaware Superior Court in 2021, where Dominion originally sought $1.6 billion in damages.
Dominion alleged that Newsmax defamed the company in its coverage of the 2020 presidential election by amplifying claims that the voting technology firm had helped rig the contest.
“Newsmax believed it was critically important for the American people to hear both sides of the election disputes that arose in 2020,” the company said in a statement. “We stand by our coverage as fair, balanced, and conducted within professional standards of journalism.”
The settlement comes four months after a judge in Delaware issued a preliminary ruling that found Dominion had met certain burdens of proof to proceed with a jury trial on the matter. In his ruling, the judge found numerous issues with Newsmax broadcasts and said it would be up to a jury to determine if the cable news outlet was “willful and wanton” in its disregard of the facts surrounding the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
In its statement on Monday, Newsmax reiterated that it felt the news broadcasts were not defamatory, but said a settlement was necessary because they did not believe they could get a fair trial in a case overseen by Judge Eric Davis — the same one who issued the burden of proof ruling in April. Judge Davis also oversaw Dominion’s separate case against Fox News, which ended in a $787 million settlement in 2023.
“From the very beginning, Judge Davis ruled in ways that strongly favored the plaintiffs and limited Newsmax’s ability to defend itself,” the company stated.
Newsmax pointed to several rulings it said undermined its defense. According to the company, Davis ruled that Newsmax had committed defamation per se in 19 instances, preventing the network from arguing its case before a jury. The court also signaled it would bar references to Fox’s earlier $787 million settlement with Dominion, which Newsmax considered essential for jurors to weigh damages. (Fox News Media and its parent company, Fox Corporation, were not parties to Dominion’s lawsuit against Newsmax.)
The company further alleged procedural irregularities, saying Davis allowed Dominion to add Newsmax’s broadcasting subsidiary to the suit and then entered a partial summary judgment against it before the subsidiary was formally served. Newsmax also criticized the scope of discovery, which it said extended to personal emails and text messages unrelated to the case.
“The Delaware Court under Judge Davis effectively enforced a confiscation of our property because our reporting was not always sympathetic to Joe Biden,” Christopher Ruddy, the CEO of Newsmax, said in a statement. “The actions taken against Newsmax, and earlier against Fox News, represent a direct attack on free speech and a free press.”
The company framed the litigation as a broader constitutional issue, warning that judicial actions in Delaware threaten press freedoms nationwide. It also urged other businesses incorporated in Delaware to reconsider their status in the state, noting it has since moved its corporate domicile to Florida.
“The judiciary’s willingness to punish news organizations for reporting on matters of urgent national debate undermines the role of the press in a free society,” the company said.
Despite its criticism of the proceedings, Newsmax said the settlement provides clarity and allows it to move forward without operational disruption. The company said it remains committed to its growth strategy and core mission.
“With these matters resolved, Newsmax is positioned to continue its mission: delivering accurate reporting, fostering vigorous debate, and ensuring Americans have access to diverse viewpoints,” the company said. “At a time when public trust in media is at historic lows, our commitment to balanced reporting, coverage of critical issues facing Americans and open dialogue has never been more important.”
The Dominion lawsuit is the second defamation case settled between Newsmax and a company involved in voting machines over the past year. Last September, the company reached a similar agreement with Smartmatic to dismiss its defamation case; Newsmax didn’t reveal the amount paid to Smartmatic to end the lawsuit, but financial filings later revealed the amount to be around $40 million.
