On Monday, August 18, 2025, Delaware Online reported that Newsmax Media settled a defamation lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems for $67 million, with the company alleging bias by Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis, who oversaw the case.

The settlement resolved a $1.6 billion lawsuit filed by Dominion in 2021, accusing Newsmax of falsely claiming the voting machine company manipulated the 2020 U.S. presidential election to favor Joe Biden over Donald Trump.

Newsmax, in a statement, claimed Judge Davis exhibited prejudice against the company, hindering its ability to mount a full defense. The media outlet argued that Davis’s rulings consistently favored Dominion, particularly when he determined in April that Newsmax had published false and defamatory statements.

According to Newsmax, the judge restricted their defense by preventing the jury from hearing that Fox Corp FOXA.O and Fox News agreed to pay $787.5 million to Dominion in 2023 to settle similar defamation claims. Newsmax stated this information was essential for the jury to assess whether Dominion had already been adequately compensated.

The settlement agreement outlined that Newsmax would pay Dominion in three installments: $27 million immediately, followed by $20 million on January 15, 2026, and another $20 million on January 15, 2027. Newsmax noted the payments would come from its revenue.

Following the announcement, Newsmax’s stock price increased by approximately 5%, reaching $12.75 per share on the New York Stock Exchange. The company emphasized that the settlement resolved all litigation related to its 2020 election coverage.

Additionally, Newsmax referenced a separate case, also under Judge Davis’ oversight, where it paid $40 million to settle allegations from Smartmatic, another voting machine company.

Newsmax’s statement suggested that the Delaware court system, where the company was incorporated at the time of the lawsuit, displayed bias, prompting its reincorporation in Florida. Several other large public companies have similarly relocated from Delaware, citing concerns over impartiality in the state’s courts.

 

 

Source: Delaware Online