Truth Comes Out: Newsmax and Smartmatic Settle 2020 Election Defamation Case

The recent dispute between Newsmax, a pro-Trump cable outlet, and Smartmatic, a voting technology company, has finally come to an end. The two parties announced a settlement just hours before the highly anticipated trial was set to begin. The settlement terms remain undisclosed, but lawyers on both sides seem to be breathing a sigh of relief. Newsmax had repeatedly made false claims about Smartmatic's involvement in the 2020 presidential election, saying that the company had rigged the results against Donald Trump. However, Smartmatic maintained that the lies harmed its reputation and cost the company billions of dollars. In fact, the company initially demanded as much as $2.3 billion in damages, but later reduced its claims to around $370 million.

The controversy has been ongoing for years, with both sides refusing to back down. However, the Delaware Superior Court's ruling on Monday that Smartmatic could only seek compensation for provable losses may have tipped the scales in favor of a settlement. Furthermore, Smartmatic's decision to abandon claims for potential losses after 2023 avoided potentially devastating testimony about its executives being charged in an unrelated Philippines bribery scheme. So, what does this settlement mean for both sides? For Newsmax, it means avoiding a potentially costly and damaging trial that could have put the small cable channel in financial peril. For Smartmatic, it means finally getting closure on the years-long controversy and taking a huge step towards holding perpetrators accountable for spreading false information. In the words of Smartmatic lawyer Erik Connolly, "Lying to the American people has consequences." Connolly also expressed hope that the settlement will pave the way for more accountability in the future. "We will not stop until the perpetrators are held accountable."

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