Fox News and Newsmax television studios are seen in the Fiserv Forum on the day before the Republican National Convention (RNC). Joe Raedle/Getty Images Share on Facebook Share on X Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Print the Article Post a Comment Logo text The right-wing cable channel Newsmax will pay $67 million to settle a lawsuit accusing it of defaming Dominion Voting Systems by falsely claiming that the vote-counting machine maker rigged votes in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. The settlement, reached on Aug. 15, was disclosed in a Monday filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Payments will be made in three installments, the last of which comes in 2027. In a statement, Newsmax stood by its reporting and didn't offer an apology. "Newsmax believed it was critically important for the American people to hear both sides of the election disputes that arose in 2020," the Company said in its statement, which noted that its coverage was "fair, balanced and conducted within the professional standards of journalism." Related Stories TV Rob Finnerty to Take Over 8 P.M. Hour on Newsmax Business Newsmax Settles Smartmatic Defamation Lawsuit Over Election Lies on Eve of Trial Dominion Voting Systems targeted 18 assertions Newsmax - which has also settled libel lawsuit filed by a different voting machine maker, Smartmatic - advanced on its cable new channel in the wake of the election. This included reporting that the company manipulated vote counts, is owned by a company founded in Venezuela to rig elections for Hugo Chavez, is paid kickbacks to government officials who used its machines in swing states and was involved in voting irregularities in Texas in 2018. Newsmax refused to issue a retraction, though it posted a notice on its website that said it has "no evidence" for its claims. Its lawyers "did not contest that what Newsmax had broadcast about Dominion was false" and claimed that the company "was not at fault," according to court documents. In April, the court cleared the case for trial, finding that Dominion "presents clear and convincing evidence" that the gist of the defamatory statements was inaccurate. If jurors decided that Newsmax broadcast the claims despite knowing they were lies or were recklessly indifferent to the truth, they would've determined the extent of damages. Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy said the company settled, in part, because it wouldn't have received a fair trial. He pointed to rulings barring a jury from considering that Fox News had already paid Dominion $787 million in a similar suit and allowing overly intrusive discovery revealing unfavorable communications from company executives. "The Delaware Court under Judge Davis effectively enforced a confiscation of our property because our reporting was not always sympathetic to Joe Biden," Ruddy said in a statement. "The actions taken against Newsmax, and earlier against Fox News, represent a direct attack on free speech and a free press." The company added, "The judiciary's willingness to punish news organizations for reporting on matters of urgent national debate undermines the role of the press in a free society." "We are pleased to have settled this matter," Dominion said in a statement. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up MSNBC Farewell, MSNBC. Hello, "My Source for News, Opinion and the World." Wait, What? Podcasts You've Never Heard of Alt-Comedy's Favorite Writer (He Wants It That Way) Podcast 'Diary of a CEO' Host Steven Bartlett Is Not Willing to Risk His Happiness Taylor Sheridan Taylor Sheridan Partners With Paramount on New Studio in Texas Starz Starz Sheds 520,000 Subscribers As Revenue Declines Post-Lionsgate Split Ross Duffer The Duffer Brothers in Talks to Depart Netflix for Paramount MSNBC Farewell, MSNBC. Hello, "My Source for News, Opinion and the World." Wait, What? Podcasts You've Never Heard of Alt-Comedy's Favorite Writer (He Wants It That Way) Podcast 'Diary of a CEO' Host Steven Bartlett Is Not Willing to Risk His Happiness Taylor Sheridan Taylor Sheridan Partners With Paramount on New Studio in Texas Starz Starz Sheds 520,000 Subscribers As Revenue Declines Post-Lionsgate Split Ross Duffer The Duffer Brothers in Talks to Depart Netflix for Paramount