Salem Media Group, a right-wing talk radio network owner, issued a public apology and announced that they would stop distributing a discredited 2020 election conspiracy theory film after a Georgia man, Mark Andrews, sued the company for defamation. Andrews claimed in his lawsuit that the film, titled “2000 Mules” by far-right activist Dinesh D’Souza, contained false claims about the 2020 election, leading to threats of violence against him and his family. The film, promoted by Donald Trump as proof that the election was stolen, severely damaged Andrews’ reputation.
In response to the lawsuit filed by Mark Andrews, Salem Media Group issued an apology and stated that they would no longer distribute the film. The company expressed regret for the harm caused to Andrews and his family and removed the film from their platforms, with no future distribution planned. The settlement was part of a larger agreement that included terms not disclosed by either party involved.
Salem Media Group operates a national talk radio network that features programs from pro-Trump personalities like Charlie Kirk and Sebastian Gorka. With over 2,700 affiliates, the company also owns Christian-format radio stations and the right-wing political website Townhall. In the “2000 Mules” film, Andrews was featured in a video with his face blurred, depositing his ballot and those of his family into a drop box as part of a supposed “mule” operation, an act denounced as fraudulent in the film.
Salem Media Group admitted in their statement that they had relied on representations made by Dinesh D’Souza when promoting the “2000 Mules” film. However, they acknowledged that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation had cleared Andrews of any illegal voting activities related to the events depicted in the film. The aftermath of the 2020 election saw former President Trump’s media allies promoting false claims of election fraud by Joe Biden, leading to legal repercussions for media outlets that propagated these claims.
The spread of election lies resulted in numerous lawsuits against right-wing media companies, with costly settlements being reached. One America News settled a lawsuit with voting technology company Smartmatic, while Fox News settled a defamation lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems for $787 million. The impact of the false claims about the 2020 election continues to be felt, with legal consequences for media outlets that promoted them. The settlement between Mark Andrews and Salem Media Group marks another instance of accountability in the aftermath of the controversial election.
