Smartmatic & Newsmax Settle Defamation Suit Over 2020 Election Claims

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Voting technology company Smartmatic USA Corp. and Newsmax Media Inc. have reached a settlement in a defamation lawsuit related to Newsmax’s coverage of alleged election fraud following the 2020 presidential election. The case was scheduled to go to trial Monday in Delaware Superior Court.

Smartmatic & Newsmax Settle Defamation Suit : Settlement Details

Court officials confirmed the settlement on Thursday but did not disclose further information. The lawsuit, filed by Smartmatic in November 2021, accused Newsmax of defaming the company in reports aired between mid-November and mid-December 2020, which falsely claimed that Smartmatic’s technology was part of a conspiracy to steal the election from Donald Trump in favor of Joe Biden.

Smartmatic’s Legal Strategy

Smartmatic pursued the lawsuit, arguing that Newsmax acted with actual malice by recklessly airing false statements, many of which were made by Trump attorney Sidney Powell and other third parties. These claims centered around the baseless allegation that Smartmatic’s voting machines had “toggled” votes from Trump to Biden.