Newsmax Media has settled a defamation lawsuit brought by Smartmatic for $40 million. The suit alleged that Newsmax falsely reported claims that Smartmatic had manipulated the 2020 U.S. election results in favor of Joe Biden over Donald Trump. The settlement was privately reached last year, with the amount disclosed in a recent investor document. Smartmatic accused Newsmax of broadcasting damaging misinformation, including claims of vote-switching and hacking. Newsmax defended its reporting under the First Amendment, stating it had the right to report claims made by Trump and his supporters. Despite the settlement, Smartmatic continues its legal action against Fox News for similar allegations. Smartmatic had sought between $400 million to $600 million in damages from Newsmax.
— news from Reuters