![]() The ramifications of the lies contained in 2000 Mules extend far beyond Georgia’s borders. The complaint details the extensive harassment the plaintiff has suffered as, to this day, his image continues to be used to promote election conspiracies. Despite his exoneration, 2000 Mules was released to the public. The state election board investigated the case and the plaintiff was cleared of wrongdoing. ![]() Late last month, Protect Democracy lawyers filed suit against the makers and promoters of the conspiracy movie 2000 Mules on behalf of a private citizen in Georgia who was filmed legally depositing 2020 ballots for himself and his family and falsely labeled a “ballot mule”-that is, someone who illegally trafficked ballots as a means to deprive Donald Trump of his re-election victory. ![]() Hence the imbalance in enforcing defamation laws: Typically, it’s only worthwhile for plaintiffs to sue deep-pocketed corporate entities where a payout is possible.īut could this change? Could there be a future where all media figures, regardless of wealth, partisan bent, or formal training, are expected to abide by the same basic standards of fairness and decency? Where the people behind One America News Network, Gateway Pundit, Project Veritas, and 2000 Mules are held to account for their smears? The latter factor is often decisive, since obtaining legal remedies is expensive, grueling, and time-consuming. Libel police, thank goodness, are not roaming the Internet like traffic cops scouting for violations cases can only be brought by people who are both harmed and have means to litigate. The explanation for the lopsided pursuit of defamation cases has less to do with matters of justice or any special First Amendment protections than with economics. The Republicans have been on a trajectory to get a Jim Jordan-style speaker for 11… This represents an effort to disrupt the status quo, where defamation challenges are chiefly brought against the big newsrooms at Fox News, CNN, the Washington Post, and the New York Times, while lesser-known media figures who demonstrate total disregard for journalistic standards remain unaccountable. Over the past year, the nonprofit Protect Democracy’s Law for Truth project has been successfully advancing libel cases against a number of individuals and organizations responsible for generating and disseminating election-related disinformation. And new legal efforts are underway asking the courts to do just that. These examples show that defamation laws can be effectively applied to both traditional and nontraditional media figures. Fox has also settled with the family of slain Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich, putting the network in the same league as InfoWars fabulist Alex Jones, now on the hook to pay Sandy Hook families $965 million in damages. Fox News is facing a pair of billion-dollar defamation suits brought by election-technology firms Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic. They ought to consider what’s happening to some of their conspiracy-minded fellow travelers.Īt first glance, it might seem as if the most brazen peddlers of Trump-era misinformation haven’t paid any price for their lies. As Elon Musk seeks to dismantle Twitter’s verification standards and the new crop of pro-Trump anything-goes social media networks like Truth Social and Rumble gain momentum, MAGA media activists may feel emboldened to spread lies about the midterm election even more recklessly than they did in 2020.
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