Newsmax Settles Defamation Suit With Dominion Exec, No Doubt the First Of Many

If Newsmax is the mouse that roared, then Dominion Voting Systems looks to be the cat that strikes — at least this one executive in charge of product strategy and security is. Newsmax cast Dominion executive Eric Coomer in a conspiracy theory, when right-winger Joe Oltmann claimed that Coomer was a member of Antifa and had participated in a conference call with same, during which plans to rig the 2020 election against Donald Trump were made. Pure fantasy and Newsmax had to settle out of court and publicly recant their comments. Insider:

Coomer sued Newsmax in December in state court in Colorado over false claims that he took part in an “Antifa conference call” to rig the 2020 presidential election against Donald Trump. He revised his lawsuit in February to bolster his claims against Newsmax, as Insider previously reported. […]

Oltmann’s baseless claims spread like wildfire in right-wing media circles, and Coomer went into hiding after receiving numerous death threats. Coomer sued more than a dozen right-wing media figures he claims were responsible for pushing the conspiracy theories. He alleged defamation, intentionally inflicted emotional distress, and civil conspiracy over the claims.

Newsmax had steadfastly claimed it did nothing wrong as recently as February, when a spokesperson told Insider that Coomer’s lawsuit was politically motivated. […]

In a statement, Cain and Skarnulis PLLC, the law firm representing Coomer, said he continues to receive death threats.

“Six months after the election, Dr. Coomer continues to receive death threats and harassment from those who believe the false conspiracy theories,” the statement reads.

Newsmax is only one defendant that has been dismissed. The others, including Oltmann, the Trump campaign, Sidney Powell, Rudy Giuliani, and OANN, remain in the suit as defendants.

And this suit is separate from the Dominion Voting Systems suits.  Dominion has sued Fox News, Powell, Giuliani, and Mike Lindell. Smartmatic has filed its own defamation lawsuits as well.

Lots of litigation going on. There are going to be a lot of very disillusioned right-wing nut jobs in the very near future when they see that their heroes of the right-wing press have feet of clay and are forced to pay damages and issue apologies because they’re dead wrong and they have no case. Here’s the apology Newsmax made to Dr. Coomer.

“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,” the statement reads. “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.”

Coomer’s name undoubtedly got dragged into Donald Trump’s wet dream because he’s the head of product strategy and security for Dominion. But to go where Oltmann and Newsmax went with all this, is beyond egregious. There’s going to be a lot of reparations paid out before all of this is done. It will be interesting to see if it was worth it to these people and organizations, at the end of the day, to go off the deep end like this.