The right-wing media outlet known as Newsmax has settled its part of a defamation lawsuit from Eric Coomer, an executive at voting technology company Dominion Voting Systems. Newsmax had pushed false claims that Coomer “manipulated voting machines… to thwart the re-election of President Donald Trump,” as NBC summarized.
The terms of the settlement have not been made public, but Newsmax did issue a public apology for its past false reporting on Coomer, who was also the subject of conspiracy theories spread elsewhere. Coomer has, among other false claims, faced the lie that he was on a so-called “Antifa conference call,” which is… not a thing as the conspiracists describe it. No matter the totally un-realistic nature of the claims, Coomer “went into hiding after receiving numerous death threats” from those who evidently took the vitriolic nonsense seriously, Business Insider explains.
Newsmax posted its apology on its website. The message read, in part, as follows:
‘There are several facts that our viewers should be aware of. Newsmax has found no evidence that Dr. Coomer interfered with Dominion voting machines or voting software in any way, nor that Dr. Coomer ever claimed to have done so. Nor has Newsmax found any evidence that Dr. Coomer ever participated in any conversation with members of “Antifa,” nor that he was directly involved with any partisan political organization.’
Notably, the statement ends by directing readers to another statement on the Newsmax website featuring “facts about” Dominion and Smartmatic, another voting technology company. The outlet is clearly eager to avoid further legal troubles over its own reckless so-called reporting. At no point has there been any legitimate evidence whatsoever that there was any kind of systematic meddling in the 2020 presidential election. Those who have claimed otherwise don’t know what they’re talking about.
Cain and Skarnulis PLLC, the law firm that has been representing Coomer, countered with its own new statement reading as follows:
‘Six months after the election, Dr. Coomer continues to receive death threats and harassment from those who believe the false conspiracy theories… With respect to the remaining defendants, Dr. Coomer is seeking damages to his reputation and livelihood and, once certified by the court, punitive damages.’
Newsmax is no longer a defendant in defamation litigation from Coomer — but Trump’s campaign, longtime Trump ally Rudy Giuliani, and others are still named in the lawsuit. Besides the litigation from Coomer in a personal capacity, Dominion as a company has filed its own defamation lawsuits against Giuliani, Fox News, and others.
