Newsmax, a right-wing media company, has agreed to pay $67 million to Dominion Voting Systems, settling a high-profile defamation lawsuit that spotlighted the network’s role in amplifying falsehoods about the 2020 U.S. presidential election. The settlement, revealed in a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing on August 15, 2025, marks another chapter in the ongoing legal reckoning for media outlets that promoted former President Donald Trump’s baseless claims of election fraud.
Dominion’s lawsuit, filed in 2021, alleged that Newsmax knowingly broadcasted and promoted conspiracy theories that its voting machines were used to rig votes in favor of Democrat Joe Biden. The $1.6 billion suit detailed 18 false statements aired on television and at least one on social media, including claims that Dominion manipulated vote counts through its software and maintained questionable ties to a Venezuelan company. According to the Investors Observer, the case was presided over by Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis, who ruled in March 2025 that Newsmax had indeed made defamatory statements about Dominion, though he left the question of damages to a jury.
But a trial will no longer be necessary. In its SEC filing, Newsmax disclosed that it had paid Dominion $27 million on August 15, with the remaining $40 million to be paid in two installments of $20 million each in 2026 and 2027. The network’s shares jumped 10.9% on the news, a sign that investors viewed the settlement as a step toward resolving a costly and potentially damaging legal battle.
In a statement, Dominion said it was "pleased to have settled this matter." The company’s victory over Newsmax is the latest in a string of wins against media organizations that helped spread Trump’s false narrative of a stolen election. Last year, Fox News agreed to pay Dominion a staggering $787.5 million to resolve similar claims. As Al Jazeera reported, the Fox News settlement was the largest known defamation payout in U.S. media history, underscoring the high stakes for networks that fail to adhere to journalistic standards when covering contentious political issues.
Newsmax, for its part, has struck a defiant tone. The company said it "believed it was critically important for the American people to hear both sides of the election disputes that arose in 2020" and insisted its coverage was "fair, balanced, and conducted within professional standards of journalism." However, Newsmax also argued that Judge Davis’ courtroom would not have provided "a fair trial wherein the Company could present standard libel defenses to a jury." In its official statement, Newsmax asserted, "The pattern of judicial rulings that consistently denied Newsmax due process left the Company to believe it would not receive a fair trial. Faced with these rulings and other constraints, Newsmax chose to settle the case."
Yet, evidence from the lawsuit paints a different picture. Internal correspondence revealed that Newsmax officials were aware Trump’s claims of electoral fraud were unfounded. One email from Newsmax host Bob Sellers to his producer asked, "How long are we going to have to play along with election fraud?" Despite these doubts, the network continued to air segments and interviews featuring prominent conspiracy theorists, including MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell and Trump attorney Sidney Powell, who pushed the narrative that Dominion’s machines had been manipulated. As The Daily Kos noted, Newsmax even re-aired Fox News segments that promoted election misinformation, further amplifying the baseless claims.
Dominion’s legal campaign against Newsmax follows a familiar pattern. In March 2025, Newsmax settled a $40 million defamation lawsuit with Smartmatic, another election technology company targeted by false claims during the 2020 election. That settlement came just days before Newsmax filed for its initial public offering (IPO), signaling the financial and reputational risks these lawsuits posed to the network’s future.
The financial toll of these settlements is staggering. Combined, right-wing outlets have paid over $900 million to resolve lawsuits related to false election claims. Fox News’ $787.5 million payout in 2023 remains the largest, but Newsmax’s $67 million agreement and its earlier $40 million Smartmatic settlement represent significant hits for a company with a smaller audience and revenue base than its larger rival. The cumulative effect of these payouts has sent a clear message to media companies: there are real consequences for spreading disinformation, especially when it undermines public trust in democratic institutions.
The political context surrounding the Newsmax settlement is impossible to ignore. The network has long been closely aligned with Donald Trump’s political brand, recently being named the "flagship" news channel for Truth+, the streaming platform launched by Trump Media and Technology Group (DJT). Even after the legal settlements, Newsmax has continued to support Trump’s claims, with the former president vowing on August 18, 2025, to eliminate mail-in ballots and voting machines like those supplied by Dominion and other companies. While Trump’s pledge was made via social media, it remains unclear how, or if, he could achieve such sweeping changes to the U.S. electoral system.
Despite the mounting evidence to the contrary, Trump and his allies persist in their efforts to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the 2020 election. Trump’s then-attorney general, William Barr, publicly stated there was no evidence of widespread fraud. Numerous recounts, reviews, and audits—including those conducted by Republican-led officials—have affirmed Biden’s victory, and Trump and his supporters lost dozens of lawsuits challenging the outcome, some before judges he appointed himself.
The settlements have not gone unnoticed in the broader media landscape. As The Daily Kos observed, conservative politicians and sympathetic media organizations like Newsmax and Fox News continue to support each other, even as they face financial repercussions for spreading falsehoods. The ongoing willingness to promote baseless claims, despite internal skepticism and costly legal defeats, raises questions about the future of partisan media in an era of heightened polarization and mistrust.
For Newsmax, the $67 million Dominion settlement may bring some legal peace, but it comes at a steep price. The network’s reputation has been battered, its finances strained, and its journalistic standards called into question. At the same time, the case serves as a cautionary tale for other media outlets: the pursuit of ratings and political influence cannot come at the expense of truth and accountability.
As the dust settles, the Newsmax-Dominion saga stands as a stark reminder of the power—and responsibility—wielded by those who shape public opinion in the digital age.
