On the brink of litigation, cable news channel Newsmax on Thursday reached a settlement with voting machine company Smartmatic, ending a defamation process who accused the network of spreading several false claims surrounding the 2020 election.
Smartmatic had accused Newsmax of publishing dozens of false reports claiming that Smartmatic helped rig the 2020 election in favor of Joe Biden. Newsmax had argued in part that they were reporting on newsworthy allegations of fraud.
“Newsmax is pleased to announce that it has resolved the dispute brought by Smartmatic through a confidential settlement,” Newsmax said in a statement posted on its website.
Smartmatic did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
The news comes as jury selection was already underway in Delaware, according to a court official, with opening statements set to begin Monday.
A Newsmax microphone is seen during the third day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, July 17, 2024.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images
The amount of the settlement was not immediately disclosed.
In a separate case last year, Dominion Voting Systems reached one $787 million settlement with Fox News in a $1.6 billion defamation suit involving similar claims related to the election.
The Newsmax trial had been scheduled to be played before the same judge who oversaw the Dominion case.