The right-wing media organization that is owned and run Christopher Ruddy, a close friend of Trump, has withdrawn its claim that Dominion Voting System’s head of product strategy and security Eric Coomer colluded with Antifa to rig the elections results so that Trump would lose. Coomer has been subjected to death threats as a result and had for a while gone into hiding. He had sued Newsmax for defamation.
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.
…Coomer first became the subject of conspiracy theories after Joe Oltmann, a right-wing political operative, claimed without evidence that he was a member of “Antifa” — a loosely linked group of left-wing activists who oppose fascist movements — and worked to rig the 2020 election.
Newsmax’s full statement can be read on its website here but here is the main part.
Newsmax would like to clarify its coverage of Dr. Coomer and note that while Newsmax initially covered claims by President Trump’s lawyers, supporters and others that Dr. Coomer played a role in manipulating Dominion voting machines, Dominion voting software, and the final vote counts in the 2020 presidential election, Newsmax subsequently found no evidence that such allegations were true. Many of the states whose results were contested by the Trump campaign after the November 2020 election have conducted extensive recounts and audits, and each of these states certified the results as legal and final.
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.
The acknowledgment that they had ‘no evidence’ to support their charges shows just how shameless and reckless they are. While the apology is public, the other terms of the settlement are not and one can assume that there was a financial payout by Newsmax. That does not end Newsmax’s woes as there are other lawsuits still pending against them.
Coomer’s lawsuits against Oltmann, Trump’s campaign, Sidney Powell, Rudy Giuliani, One America News Network, and others are still ongoing. Newsmax saying that had no evidence against him makes the other defendants’ situation worse.
blf says
Mano — Sorry, not sure on this, but you write (last paragraph) “[Dominion Voting System’s head of product strategy and security Eric] Coomer’s lawsuits…” — shouldn’t that be “Dominion Voting System’s lawsuits…” ?
Mano Singham says
blf,
The article in the first link says that Coomer himself has also sued all those people and more.
Marcus Ranum says
It’s great that one lawsuit has settled and they admitted to wrongdoing. That’s gonna make the other lawsuit even deadlier.
Who Cares says
The reaction OAN: “They caved to the leftists, maybe even being blackmailed into this.”