Wilmington, Delaware — A Delaware judge recently ruled that Newsmax, a conservative channel known for its pro-Trump stance, defamed Dominion Voting Systems by falsely claiming the company manipulated the 2020 presidential election results. This decision, handed down by Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis, arrives just weeks ahead of a scheduled jury trial set to commence on April 28, where the issue of malice in Newsmax’s actions will be assessed.
This legal battle mirrors Dominion’s previous lawsuit against Fox News, which culminated in a settlement of $787 million in 2023, setting a record. Similarly to the Fox News case, Judge Davis has concluded that the fraud allegations raised against Dominion were unequivocally false and not protected under the First Amendment as they were not presented as mere opinions by Newsmax’s hosts or guests.
Dominion, which has asserted that it sustained extensive reputational harm due to these allegations, is now poised to determine whether Newsmax propagated these falsehoods with actual malice, a requirement for proving defamation. Despite the channel’s efforts to amend its narrative by running a clarification segment in December 2020 that acknowledged the lack of evidence in its claims against Dominion, the case has progressed to a critical legal confrontation.
The implications of Judge Davis’s ruling are substantial, enhancing the likelihood that Newsmax might opt for a settlement to avoid a potentially costly verdict. Newsmax officials, however, maintain their innocence, asserting that their coverage was balanced and did not infringe on Dominion’s rights. The company contends that this lawsuit poses a significant threat to freedoms of speech and press, pledging to vigorously defend itself in the upcoming trial.
The lawsuit is rooted in accusations aired by Newsmax hosts and guests who alleged that Dominion had conspired with Democrats to tamper with millions of votes, thus unfairly tipping the scale in favor of then-candidate Joe Biden. Dominion is seeking in excess of $1 billion in damages, suggesting a significant financial and reputational stake.
Meanwhile, Newsmax, led by Chris Ruddy, a known Trump ally, continues its regular operations, recently initiating an initial public offering. High-profile figures from Newsmax, including television hosts Greg Kelly and Chris Salcedo, are slated to testify if the case proceeds to court. This legal scrutiny comes on the heels of a separate $40 million settlement that Newsmax agreed to pay another voting technology company, Smartmatic, for similar defamation claims.
As this legal drama unfolds, the stakes are high not only for the parties involved but also for the broader implications it holds for media accountability and electoral integrity debates in the United States.
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