Salem Media Group Dumps D’Souza Movie
The media giant announced ‘2000 Mules’ will no longer be available on its streaming platforms
Salem Media Group has announced it has removed Dinesh D’Souza’s movie “2000 Mules” from all of its platforms while also issuing a formal apology to a Georgia man falsely accused of illegal voting activity during the course of the movie.
“2000 Mules” trailer / Video screenshot
Salem’s official statement comes in response to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation finding that the Georgia man, Mark Andrews, had not committed any wrongdoing or voter fraud. “We have learned that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation has cleared Mr. Andrews of illegal voting activity in connection with the event depicted in ‘2000 Mules,’” it reads.
“It was never our intent that the publication of the ‘2000 Mules’ film and book would harm Mr. Andrews,” Salem states. “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.”
The company said it has removed the film from its platforms and will no longer distribute the film or book.
The movie “2000 Mules” made claims regarding the 2020 presidential election and alleged voter fraud. Though D’Souza’s claims were quickly debunked, former President Donald Trump regularly cited the movie in his persistent claim that the presidential election was stolen from him.
In the films, Andrews was shown depositing both his ballot and those belonging to his family into a drop box as part of what the film described as a mule operation. “What you are seeing is a crime,” D’Souza asserts in a voiceover during the movie. “These are fraudulent votes.”
Salem said in their statement they “relied on representations made to us by Dinesh D’Souza” as to the validity of the claims made in the movie.
Andrews has sued Salem Media and D’Souza for defamation. The group Protect Democracy, which represents Andrews, said in a statement, “Mr. Andrews’ case will continue against the remaining defendants, as he pursues accountability for their defamation.”
This is the latest in a number of legal cases involving election fraud claims posited by major media outlets. Last month, One America News settled a lawsuit brought by voting technology company Smartmatic over claims the news outlet made about the company and its technology. Last year, Fox News settled a $787 million defamation lawsuit that was filed by Dominion Voting Systems.
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