Newsmax Airs Clarification Of Election Fraud Claims After Legal Threat

Newsmax on Monday followed Fox News in running an extensive fact check of claims of election rigging against President Donald Trump, after one of the targets of the conspiracy theories, election tech company Smartmatic, threatened legal action.

Smartmatic has fired off legal threats to Fox News, Newsmax and One America News Network, demanding repeated retractions after on-air personalities and guests floated claims that its election software was rigged, that it had ties to the Venezuelan government and George Soros. In fact, Smartmatic said that it provided support only for one locality in the recent presidential election, Los Angeles County.

Another company, Dominion Voting Systems, has issued lengthy rebuttals in response to disinformation, and has also issued legal demands to Sidney Powell, a Newsmax guest who has represented the Trump campaign in its legal challenges.

Newsmax’s John Tabacco read a statement on air, telling the audience that “Newsmax would like to clarify its news coverage and note that it has not reported as true certain claims made about these companies. There are several facts our viewers and readers should be aware of. Newsmax has found no evidence either Dominion or Smartmatic owns the other, or has any business association with each other.”

The statement refuted a list of claims that had been made on air since the election. Newsmax has seen a spike in ratings as it on-air figures have pushed Trump’s claims that the election was stolen from him.

Tabacco went on to say that “no evidence has been offered that Dominion or Smartmatic used software or reprogrammed software that manipulated votes in the 2020 election.”

“Dominion has stated its company has no ownership, relationship with the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s family, Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s family, the Clinton family, Hugo Chavez, or the government of Venezuela.

“Neither Dominion nor Smartmatic has any relationship with George Soros.

“Smartmatic is a U.S. company and not owned by the Venezuelan government, Hugo Chavez or any foreign official or entity.”

Newsmax also posted the statement to its website.

Fox News ran a fact-checking segment over the weekend on Fox Business’ Lou Dobbs Tonight, Justice with Jeanine and Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo.

*** This article has been archived for your research. The original version from Deadline can be found here ***