The cost of election lies: Newsmax, Smartmatic settle defamation lawsuit

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

 

 

Sept. 27, 2024

 

Conservative cable network Newsmax on Thursday settled a defamation lawsuit brought by voting-machine company Smartmatic, narrowly avoiding a high-profile trial over the airing of 2020 election falsehoods.

 

Why it matters: Ahead of the 2024 race and beyond, the settlement — the third involving 2020 election coverage in the past two years — shows the cost of airing election lies.

...

Details of the agreement were not made immediately available.... Smartmatic's $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News is expected to go to trial next year.

 

(more)

 

https://www.axios.com/2024/09/27/newsmax-smartmatic-settle-defamation-lawsuit

 

Will to interesting to see in the days/weeks ahead if any financial details of the settlement end up leaking out.

 

Smartmatic and Newsmax reach settlement in election defamation case

Smartmatic had sued Newsmax over the right-wing news outlet's airing of false claims that Smartmatic's voting machines rigged the 2020 election for Joe Biden.

 

...

Samira Saba, a spokesperson for Smartmatic, said Thursday that the company was “pleased to have secured the completion of the case against Newsmax.”

 

"Lying to the American people has consequences," Saba said in a statement. "Smartmatic will not stop until the perpetrators are held accountable."

 

Newsmax said in a statement that the litigation was resolved “through a confidential settlement.”

 

(more)

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/media/smartmatic-newsmax-reach-settlement-election-defamation-case-rcna172927

 

[bamnutsak]

Trial scheduled to start next week.

 

Confidential settlement.

 

 

Not surprising Newsmax decided to settle.

 

I guess I'm surprised Smartmatic agreed to a  settlement, but guaranteed cash now (or scheduled over time) is better than some larger amount that might never be paid?

 

Newsmax is not exactly a booming business like Fox. 2024 revenue estimated at ~ $191 million.

 

I'd be shocked if the settlement was north of $25 million.

 

[impulse]

I wonder when CNN will get sued?

 

Georgia won’t update vulnerable Dominion software until after 2024 election

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/06/14/politics/dominion-voting-georgia-vulnerabilities-2024/index.html

 

Or Politico?

 

The nation’s best hackers found vulnerabilities in voting machines — but no time to fix them

 

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/08/12/hackers-vulnerabilities-voting-machines-elections-00173668#:~:text=The nation’s best hackers found

 

And I wonder if Fox will sue for a refund...

 

Expert shows how to tamper with Georgia voting machine in security trial

 

https://www.ajc.com/politics/witness-shows-how-to-tamper-with-georgia-elections-in-security-trial/WUVKCYNV3ZGOVNB6X6TDX2GEFQ

 

Check the dates on all 3 articles before telling me those claims have been long ago debunked.

 

Edited 3 hours ago by impulse