A settlement was reached in a defamation lawsuit brought by electronic voting machine manufacturer Smartmatic against conservative news outlet Newsmax. The lawsuit stemmed from accusations made by allies of former President Donald Trump regarding vote manipulation in the 2020 election.
Smartmatic claimed that Newsmax program hosts and guests made false and defamatory statements implying that Smartmatic participated in rigging the election results and that its software was used to switch votes. Newsmax, on the other hand, argued that it was merely reporting on newsworthy allegations made by Trump and his supporters.
The terms of the settlement were not disclosed, but Newsmax stated that Smartmatic dropped its damages claims by more than $1 billion. Smartmatic had initially sought $1.7 billion in damages but later reduced it to $400 million.
Smartmatic's attorney asserted that the company was seeking lost revenue damages for the period from late 2020 to August of this year, citing reputational damage from the Newsmax reports. Newsmax planned to question Smartmatic witnesses about the discrepancy in the damages claimed by the company.
Smartmatic is also involved in defamation lawsuits against other conservative news outlets, including Fox News. The company recently settled a lawsuit with One America News Network and is preparing for a trial against Fox Corp and Fox News.
In response to Smartmatic's statement, Fox defended its position, stating that Smartmatic chose to settle with Newsmax due to pretrial setbacks and a reduction in damage claims. Fox emphasized its commitment to defending the case when it goes to trial.
Overall, the settlement between Smartmatic and Newsmax marks a significant development in the legal battles surrounding the 2020 election and highlights the ongoing debate over freedom of speech and press in the media landscape.
