The Dominion voting machines lawsuit is one of the most consequential defamation cases in American legal history. Dominion Voting Systems filed billions of dollars in defamation claims against Fox News, Newsmax, OAN, Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Mike Lindell, and others after the 2020 presidential election.
The Fox News case alone settled for $787.5 million in April 2023. That number made headlines everywhere. But the story did not end there.
Several other lawsuits are still working through the courts or have reached their own conclusions heading into 2026. This article covers every case, every defendant, and every outcome in plain language.
You’ll also learn what the legal arguments actually mean and why these cases matter beyond politics.
What Is the Dominion Voting Machines Lawsuit
The Dominion voting machines lawsuit refers to a series of defamation lawsuits filed by Dominion Voting Systems starting in early 2021. Dominion sued media outlets and individuals who publicly claimed its voting machines were used to rig the 2020 presidential election in favor of Joe Biden.
Dominion is a private company that manufactures and services electronic voting systems. Its machines were used in dozens of states during the November 2020 election.
After the election, a wave of claims spread across cable news, social media, and political circles. Those claims accused Dominion’s machines of switching votes, being connected to foreign servers, and being designed to manipulate election results. Dominion said every one of those claims was false.
The company then took legal action.
| Key Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Company | Dominion Voting Systems |
| Type of Lawsuit | Defamation |
| First Filing | January 2021 |
| Primary Allegation | False claims about vote manipulation |
| Total Claims Filed | More than $10 billion combined |
| Largest Settlement | $787.5 million (Fox News, April 2023) |
Defamation lawsuits require proof that someone made a false statement of fact that caused harm. Dominion argued these false claims destroyed its reputation and business.
Dominion Voting Systems Defamation Case Explained
A defamation case means someone made a false statement that damaged another party’s reputation. Dominion’s cases accused multiple defendants of broadcasting lies presented as facts about its voting machines.
Dominion is classified as a public figure in some respects because of its role in public elections. That classification matters enormously in defamation law.
When a plaintiff is a public figure or operates in a public role, they must meet a higher legal bar to win. That bar is called the “actual malice” standard. It means Dominion had to show the defendants either knew the claims were false or acted with reckless disregard for whether they were true or false.
Internal communications discovered during the Fox News case were critical. Texts and emails showed Fox News hosts and executives privately doubted the election fraud claims they were broadcasting publicly.
That evidence was central to Dominion’s legal strategy across all its cases.
- Dominion filed lawsuits in Delaware, federal courts, and other jurisdictions
- The cases relied heavily on discovery, pulling private messages and emails
- Fox News’s internal communications became the clearest evidence of potential actual malice
- Dominion sought both compensatory and punitive damages
What Did Dominion Claim in Its Lawsuits
Dominion claimed that specific defendants made false, defamatory statements about its voting machines knowing those statements were false or without caring whether they were true. These were not vague complaints. Dominion’s legal filings named specific broadcasts, specific dates, and specific statements.
The core claims centered on a set of allegations that circulated after November 3, 2020. Dominion said those allegations were completely fabricated.
The specific false claims Dominion identified in its lawsuits:
- Dominion machines were programmed to switch votes from Trump to Biden
- Dominion’s software was created in Venezuela at the direction of Hugo Chavez
- Dominion had financial ties to George Soros or foreign governments
- The company’s machines were connected to the internet and manipulated remotely
- Dominion employees intentionally altered vote counts in contested states
Dominion argued these claims were not speculation or opinion. It said defendants presented them as established facts on national broadcasts watched by millions.
The legal filings also showed that many defendants had been told these claims were false by their own researchers and staff. That internal awareness strengthened Dominion’s actual malice argument significantly.
Key Takeaway: Dominion’s lawsuits were built on documented evidence that defendants either knew their claims were false or were told they were false and broadcast them anyway.
Dominion vs Fox News: The $787 Million Settlement
The Fox News settlement of $787.5 million is the largest known defamation settlement in American media history. It was reached on April 18, 2023, the morning the trial was set to begin in Delaware Superior Court.
Fox News did not admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement. Dominion’s statement called it vindication, while Fox News called it a resolution that allowed both parties to move forward.
The settlement amount, though enormous, was significantly less than Dominion’s original $1.6 billion claim. Dominion also dropped its demand for a public apology or an on-air acknowledgment of false reporting.
| Settlement Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Settlement Date | April 18, 2023 |
| Amount Paid | $787.5 million |
| Fox News Admission | None |
| Original Claim | $1.6 billion |
| Court | Delaware Superior Court |
| Judge | Eric Davis |
The evidence gathered before trial was damaging for Fox. Internal texts showed hosts like Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham, and Sean Hannity privately mocking the election fraud claims. Rupert Murdoch himself acknowledged in a deposition that some Fox hosts had endorsed false claims.
That discovery phase changed the calculus for both sides. Fox News chose to pay rather than let that evidence play out in front of a jury.
Who Are the Defendants in the Dominion Lawsuits
Dominion did not sue only Fox News. The company filed lawsuits against a wide range of media outlets, political operatives, and public figures who promoted the election fraud allegations. The defendant list is one of the most extensive in modern defamation litigation history.
Think of it like a tree. Fox News was the biggest branch. But the same false claims grew across dozens of other branches at the same time.
Full defendant list:
- Fox Corporation and Fox News Network
- Newsmax Media
- One America News Network (OAN) / Herring Networks
- Rudy Giuliani, former New York City mayor and Trump attorney
- Sidney Powell, attorney and author of the “Kraken” lawsuits
- Mike Lindell, CEO of MyPillow
- Patrick Byrne, former CEO of Overstock.com
- Lou Dobbs (named individually as a Fox host)
- Maria Bartiromo (named individually as a Fox host)
- Jenna Ellis, Trump campaign attorney
Each lawsuit carried its own claim amount, its own legal strategy, and its own timeline. Not all of them resolved the same way.
Dominion vs Newsmax: Where the Case Stands in 2026
The Dominion vs Newsmax lawsuit is still one of the most closely watched remaining cases as of 2026. Dominion filed a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Newsmax Media, the conservative cable news outlet that heavily promoted election fraud claims after November 2020.
Newsmax was an aggressive promoter of the voting machine allegations. Its hosts and guests made repeated claims about Dominion and SmartMatic in broadcasts during late 2020 and early 2021.
The case has moved through discovery and pretrial motions. Newsmax attempted to have the case dismissed on First Amendment grounds, arguing its coverage was protected opinion or reporting on newsworthy public debates. Courts rejected key portions of those arguments.
| Case Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Plaintiff | Dominion Voting Systems |
| Defendant | Newsmax Media |
| Claim Amount | $1.6 billion |
| Filing Date | August 2021 |
| Current Status | Active litigation as of 2026 |
| Key Defense Argument | First Amendment, opinion privilege |
Heading into 2026, the Newsmax case remains one of the most significant unresolved pieces of Dominion’s legal campaign. A trial outcome or settlement in this case could set another major legal precedent for media defamation liability.
Dominion vs OAN: What Happened to That Lawsuit
Dominion’s lawsuit against One America News Network (OAN) targeted one of the most aggressive promoters of the election fraud narrative. OAN’s coverage went further than most outlets in presenting unverified claims about Dominion as established fact.
Dominion filed a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Herring Networks, the parent company of OAN, in August 2021.
The OAN case followed a different path than Fox News. OAN is a smaller company with fewer resources. Settlement negotiations took place over an extended period. In July 2023, reports emerged that OAN had settled with Dominion, though the terms of that settlement were not fully disclosed publicly.
What is known about the OAN settlement:
- OAN’s parent company Herring Networks reached a resolution with Dominion
- OAN aired a segment acknowledging courts found no evidence of fraud involving Dominion
- Financial terms of the OAN settlement were not made public
- The acknowledgment segment was a condition of the resolution
The OAN outcome was notable because it included an on-air acknowledgment, something Dominion did not get from Fox News.
Key Takeaway: Dominion’s cases against Newsmax and OAN took different paths, with OAN settling for undisclosed terms and Newsmax continuing to fight in court through 2026.
Mike Lindell and MyPillow: The Dominion Lawsuit Outcome
The Mike Lindell and MyPillow lawsuit is one of the most unusual cases in the Dominion litigation portfolio. Lindell became one of the most vocal promoters of election fraud claims after 2020. He spent millions of his own money promoting theories about Dominion and other voting systems.
Dominion filed a $1.3 billion defamation lawsuit against Lindell and his company MyPillow in February 2021.
Lindell countersued Dominion. He also made the Dominion lawsuit a central part of his public identity for years, repeatedly claiming he would prove his allegations in court. He invited Dominion to sue him. They did.
The case has been complicated by Lindell’s personal financial difficulties. MyPillow faced significant business pressure after major retailers dropped the brand. Lindell publicly discussed financial challenges.
| Lawsuit Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Plaintiff | Dominion Voting Systems |
| Defendant | Mike Lindell / MyPillow Inc. |
| Claim Amount | $1.3 billion |
| Filing Date | February 2021 |
| Lindell Countersuit | Filed against Dominion |
| 2026 Status | Litigation ongoing or resolution pending |
The case has moved slowly through pretrial proceedings. As of 2026, it remains one of the unresolved threads in Dominion’s broader legal campaign.
Rudy Giuliani, Dominion, and the Bankruptcy Question
Rudy Giuliani’s case with Dominion became entangled with his personal financial collapse. Dominion sued Giuliani for $1.3 billion in January 2021. Giuliani had been one of the most visible promoters of Dominion-related fraud claims as Trump’s personal attorney.
In August 2023, a separate jury ordered Giuliani to pay $148 million to two Georgia election workers he defamed. That verdict devastated Giuliani financially.
Giuliani filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December 2023. That filing directly complicated Dominion’s ability to collect on any judgment or settlement.
Bankruptcy proceedings do not erase civil defamation judgments in most circumstances. But they do delay and complicate the collection process significantly.
How Giuliani’s bankruptcy affects the Dominion case:
- Dominion became a creditor in his bankruptcy proceedings
- Collection of any judgment was paused during bankruptcy review
- Giuliani’s assets were inventoried and disputed throughout 2024 and 2025
- Resolution of the Dominion claim depends heavily on bankruptcy court outcomes
As of 2026, the Giuliani situation remains one of the most complicated pieces of Dominion’s litigation picture. The money Dominion might recover from him is deeply uncertain.
Sidney Powell’s Case: How It Was Resolved
Sidney Powell was one of the most aggressive legal voices behind the election fraud claims. She filed lawsuits in multiple states claiming evidence of massive voting machine manipulation. She called her legal strategy “releasing the Kraken.”
Dominion sued Powell for $1.3 billion in January 2021.
Powell’s situation changed dramatically when she faced criminal charges in Georgia related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. In October 2023, Powell pleaded guilty to reduced charges in the Georgia case and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.
That guilty plea had implications for her civil defamation case with Dominion. A criminal admission of wrongdoing related to election fraud efforts strengthened Dominion’s position considerably.
Key facts about the Powell resolution:
- Dominion’s $1.3 billion lawsuit was filed in January 2021
- Powell pleaded guilty in the Georgia election case in October 2023
- Terms of any civil settlement with Dominion were not publicly disclosed in full
- Her financial capacity to pay any large judgment was limited
The Powell case stands as an example of how multiple legal proceedings can intersect and influence each other simultaneously.
Key Takeaway: Giuliani’s bankruptcy and Powell’s criminal guilty plea both complicated Dominion’s ability to collect large damages, even as those cases strengthened Dominion’s underlying legal arguments.
What Is the Actual Malice Standard in Defamation Law
The actual malice standard is the legal test Dominion had to meet to win its defamation cases against public figures and media defendants. It comes from the 1964 Supreme Court case New York Times v. Sullivan.
Under that standard, a plaintiff must prove the defendant either knew the statement was false at the time they made it, or they acted with reckless disregard for whether it was true or false.
This is a much harder bar than ordinary negligence. It protects media organizations from being sued for honest mistakes. But it does not protect them when internal evidence shows they knew they were broadcasting falsehoods.
That distinction is why Fox News’s internal communications were so critical to Dominion’s case.
| Standard | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Negligence | Defendant should have known the statement was false |
| Actual Malice | Defendant knew it was false OR didn’t care either way |
| Opinion Privilege | Statements of pure opinion are not defamatory |
| Truth Defense | True statements cannot be defamatory |
Dominion’s strategy was built around proving actual malice through the defendants’ own words. Internal texts showed Fox News hosts privately ridiculing the fraud claims while publicly amplifying them. That gap between private knowledge and public broadcast was the heart of the case.
The Election Fraud Claims Dominion Says Were False
Dominion did not just say the claims were wrong. It compiled extensive evidence showing each specific allegation had been investigated and debunked by courts, election officials, and the defendants’ own internal researchers. More than 60 courts rejected election fraud claims related to the 2020 election.
Federal agencies including the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued statements calling the 2020 election “the most secure in American history.”
Specific claims courts and officials found no evidence to support:
- Dominion machines connected to the internet during counting: No evidence found
- Vote totals changed by algorithm: No evidence found
- Venezuelan government involvement in Dominion: No evidence found
- Dominion servers in Germany or Spain with foreign access: No evidence found
- Dominion employees intentionally manipulating ballots: No evidence found
Dominion used these official findings in its lawsuits to show that accurate information was publicly available. The argument was that defendants could have easily verified the truth before broadcasting these claims.
The fact that some defendants were told by their own staff that the claims were unverified made that argument even stronger.
Who Won the Dominion Voting Lawsuits
Dominion has won financially and reputationally in the cases that have resolved, but the full legal campaign is not yet complete. The Fox News settlement of $787.5 million is the clearest win. The OAN case resulted in a settlement with an on-air acknowledgment, which Dominion publicly valued.
The cases against Newsmax and Mike Lindell remained active through 2026 without final resolution. The Giuliani and Powell cases face collection and financial complications that make “winning” harder to define in practical dollar terms.
| Defendant | Outcome | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fox News | Settled | $787.5 million |
| OAN / Herring Networks | Settled (terms undisclosed) | Not public |
| Sidney Powell | Civil status pending / criminal plea | Not collected |
| Rudy Giuliani | Bankruptcy complications | Uncertain |
| Mike Lindell / MyPillow | Ongoing as of 2026 | Pending |
| Newsmax | Ongoing litigation as of 2026 | Pending |
Dominion’s CEO John Poulos said the Fox News settlement was “the most important thing for us.” That case validated the company’s legal strategy and demonstrated that even the largest media organizations face serious liability for broadcasting known falsehoods.
Full List of Dominion Lawsuit Defendants in 2026
Dominion’s legal campaign targeted a broader group of defendants than most people realize. The full list spans cable networks, digital media outlets, attorneys, executives, and political operatives. Each lawsuit was filed separately with its own legal team, timeline, and strategy.
Think of it as a coordinated legal response to a coordinated media campaign. Dominion tracked the spread of each false claim and identified each major amplifier.
Complete defendant list with claim amounts:
| Defendant | Claim Amount | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Fox News / Fox Corporation | $1.6 billion (settled $787.5M) | Cable news |
| Newsmax Media | $1.6 billion | Cable news |
| OAN / Herring Networks | $1.6 billion (settled, undisclosed) | Cable news |
| Rudy Giuliani | $1.3 billion | Attorney / political operative |
| Sidney Powell | $1.3 billion | Attorney |
| Mike Lindell / MyPillow | $1.3 billion | Executive / CEO |
| Patrick Byrne | $1.6 billion | Business executive |
| Lou Dobbs | Named individually | Fox host |
| Maria Bartiromo | Named individually | Fox host |
Total claims across all lawsuits exceeded $10 billion combined. The actual recoveries will be far lower, but the legal pressure achieved real results including settlements, retractions, and on-air acknowledgments.
What Do the Dominion Lawsuits Mean for Election Integrity
The Dominion lawsuits represent a direct test of whether false claims about election systems carry legal consequences. Before these cases, spreading election misinformation at scale through broadcast media had never resulted in a near-billion-dollar settlement.
That changed with Fox News in April 2023.
The legal and practical implications extend well beyond Dominion as a company. Election officials, voting machine manufacturers, and media law experts have all pointed to these cases as a potential deterrent for future election-related disinformation campaigns.
What the Dominion cases may mean going forward:
- Media organizations now face documented financial risk for broadcasting unverified election claims
- Private election technology companies have a legal roadmap for defamation protection
- Internal communications are now understood to be discoverable evidence in defamation cases
- The actual malice standard can be met through email and text evidence of private doubt
The broader election integrity conversation is also affected. Courts in these cases repeatedly reaffirmed that no credible evidence of voting machine manipulation existed in 2020.
That judicial record matters for public understanding of election security.
Dominion Lawsuit 2026 Update: What Cases Remain Active
As of 2026, the Dominion legal campaign is in its final stages but not fully resolved. The Fox News and OAN cases are settled. The Powell and Giuliani cases face collection challenges. The Newsmax and Lindell cases remain the most significant active matters.
The Newsmax case is the largest remaining fight. With $1.6 billion at stake and a media company actively defending itself on First Amendment grounds, that case has the potential to produce another landmark ruling or settlement.
2026 case status summary:
| Case | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fox News | Resolved | Settled for $787.5 million in 2023 |
| OAN | Resolved | Settled with on-air acknowledgment |
| Sidney Powell | Civil status pending | Criminal plea entered in 2023 |
| Rudy Giuliani | Bankruptcy proceedings | Collection uncertain |
| Mike Lindell | Active | Ongoing litigation |
| Newsmax | Active | Most significant remaining case |
| Patrick Byrne | Active / Resolution pending | Lower public profile |
Dominion has stated publicly that it pursues these cases not only for financial recovery but to create a clear legal record that the election fraud claims were false. By 2026, that record is largely established through court rulings, settlements, and acknowledgments.
The remaining cases will determine the final financial scope of one of the most sweeping defamation campaigns in American corporate history.
Key Takeaway: Heading into 2026, Dominion has resolved its biggest cases but still has active litigation against Newsmax and Mike Lindell, with the Newsmax case being the most consequential remaining battle.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did Fox News pay Dominion in the lawsuit settlement?
Fox News paid $787.5 million to settle the Dominion defamation lawsuit on April 18, 2023.
That amount was roughly half of Dominion’s original $1.6 billion claim.
Fox News made no admission of wrongdoing as part of the settlement.
Did Dominion win all of its lawsuits?
Dominion has not won all of its lawsuits outright, but it has achieved significant results in the cases that have resolved.
The Fox News settlement and the OAN resolution are both considered wins for Dominion.
Cases against Newsmax and Mike Lindell were still active as of 2026, with final outcomes yet to be determined.
Is the Dominion vs Newsmax lawsuit still going in 2026?
Yes, the Dominion vs Newsmax lawsuit remained active litigation as of 2026.
Newsmax has contested the case on First Amendment grounds, and the case has moved through pretrial stages without reaching a final resolution.
It is considered the most significant remaining Dominion lawsuit and could result in either a trial verdict or another major settlement.
What does “actual malice” mean and why does it matter in the Dominion cases?
Actual malice means the defendant either knew a statement was false or acted with reckless disregard for whether it was true.
It is the legal standard public figures and media defendants must be shown to have met in order to lose a defamation case.
In the Dominion cases, internal texts and emails showing hosts privately doubting the claims they were broadcasting publicly were the key evidence of actual malice.
What is the difference between the Dominion lawsuit and the SmartMatic lawsuit?
SmartMatic is a separate voting technology company that also filed defamation lawsuits against Fox News and others after the 2020 election.
SmartMatic’s lawsuit against Fox News, seeking $2.7 billion, was filed separately from Dominion’s and followed a different legal timeline.
Both cases involved similar claims of broadcast defamation, but they are distinct lawsuits filed by two different companies targeting the same false election narratives.
The Dominion Cases Are Not Finished Yet
The Fox News settlement made history. But the full Dominion legal story is still being written in courtrooms in 2026. The Newsmax case alone could match or approach Fox News territory in terms of financial exposure.
What these lawsuits established is something courts rarely get to put on the record so clearly: the specific, documented gap between what some media figures said publicly and what they believed privately.
Check back on the Newsmax case for the next major development. If you work in or around election administration, media, or civic organizations, the legal precedents coming out of these cases matter to your world directly. Stay informed as rulings unfold.
