In a defamation case against Newsmax, Smartmatic’s attorney alleged that CEO Chris Ruddy knew there was no evidence to support the claims of election rigging by Smartmatic, yet the network continued to promote these lies. Employees at Newsmax were reportedly aware of the lack of evidence and some even privately expressed doubts about the accusations being made on air. While internal emails and text messages referencing this lack of evidence were not publicly released, they were cited during the pre-trial hearing.
Despite acknowledging that Newsmax did not have evidence of widespread voter fraud, Chris Ruddy stated in a November 2020 email that the network would continue to cover Trump and his allies making similar claims. Newsmax reported on election irregularities and vote fraud but stated they did not claim there was a voter fraud conspiracy. Ruddy committed to accepting the outcome of the election as decided by the Electoral College and encouraged a smooth presidential transition regardless of the outcome.
Smartmatic’s attorney admitted in court that they did not have a smoking gun email from within Newsmax expressing a dislike for Smartmatic, which could have helped their defamation case. The trial, set for late September, was not postponed despite Newsmax’s request due to a recent federal indictment against Smartmatic’s president on foreign bribery charges. Newsmax’s attorney argued that there was no evidence they knew the claims were false and that they were reporting both sides of the story as directed by Ruddy.
Smartmatic sued Newsmax after the 2020 election, alleging intentional promotion of lies that the company was involved in rigging the vote. Newsmax, like Fox News, is facing a defamation case from Dominion Voting Systems following the 2020 election. Despite maintaining that their coverage was protected by the First Amendment, a trial could have significant implications for how journalists cover election lies and could put Newsmax in financial peril if they were to face a courtroom defeat.
Owned by Christopher Ruddy, a Trump ally, Newsmax hosts former Fox personalities and has faced accusations of abuse during the discovery process in the defamation case with Smartmatic. The run-up to the pre-trial hearing was filled with developments, including indictments against Smartmatic executives and allegations of concealment of documents by Newsmax. The outcome of the trial could shape how news networks report on election-related claims and could have serious repercussions for Newsmax financially.
