Right-wing media company Salem apologizes, stops distributing 2020 election conspiracy film ‘2000 Mules’ after lawsuit

Salem Media Group, the right-wing talk radio network owner, issued a public apology and said it would stop distributing a discredited 2020 election conspiracy theory film after a Georgia man wrongly accused of voter fraud sued the company for defamation.

Salem Media Group, the right-wing talk radio network owner, issued a public apology and said it would stop distributing a discredited 2020 election conspiracy theory film after a Georgia man wrongly accused of voter fraud sued the company for defamation. The Georgia man, Mark Andrews, said in his 2022 lawsuit that “2000 Mules,” a film and book by far-right activist Dinesh D’Souza contained a string of bogus claims about the 2020 election, leading to threats of violence against him and his family. Andrews said the film, which has been repeatedly promoted by Donald Trump and widely circulated in right-wing media as supposed proof that the 2020 election was stolen, had severely damaged his reputation. “It was never our intent that the publication of the 2000 Mules film and book would harm Mr. Andrews,” Salem said in a Friday statement. “We apologize for the hurt the inclusion of Mr. Andrews’ image in the movie, book, and promotional materials have caused Mr. Andrews and his family.” “We have removed the film from Salem’s platforms, and there will be no future distribution of the film or the book by Salem,” the right-wing company added. A representative for Protect Democracy, a nonprofit group that sued Salem on Andrews’ behalf, declined to comment when asked whether the apology was part of a settlement to the lawsuit. A Salem spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment Friday.