The defamation trial pitting Newsmax Media, Inc. against Smartmatic ended the same day it began. Hours after jury selection commenced on Thursday at the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center in Wilmington, DE, the network announced that a settlement had been reached in the case.
“Newsmax is pleased to announce it has resolved the litigation brought by Smartmatic through a confidential settlement,” a spokesperson said in a statement provided to TVNewser.
The undisclosed settlement brings an end to the three-year long case. Smartmatic originally filed its lawsuit in November 2021 as part of a series of defamation suits the voting technology company brought against conservative-leaning news outlets, including the Fox Corporation and One America News Network.
Those lawsuits alleged that the three networks had broadcast falsehoods about the company’s role in the 2020 presidential election, which saw President Joe Biden defeat former President Donald Trump, although the latter refused to concede.
“We are holding them accountable for what they tell their audience,” J. Erik Connolly, a lawyer for Smartmatic, told The New York Times in a 2021 interview.
OAN and Smartmatic previously reached a settlement in April, the terms of which were also confidential. The company’s case with Fox, however, remains ongoing. Fox Corp. settled a separate defamation case with Dominion Voting Systems in 2023, paying $787.5 million.
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