The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Oct. 6, 2023
Today’s Script
(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)
You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.
The debunked documentary “2000 Mules” purported to show evidence of people depositing stacks of fraudulent mail-in and absentee ballots into drop boxes. One of the individuals filmed is suing the producers.
The film was trumpeted by election denier conspiracy theorists as PROOF of “ballot harvesting,” the collection of legitimate or fraudulent ballots in an attempt to change the outcome of the election. Election and law enforcement officials found no such widespread organized fraud in the 2020 election.
Georgia voter Mark Andrews was filmed legally dropping off ballots for his family, and in the movie’s voiceover, the filmmaker states: “What you are seeing
is a crime. These are fraudulent votes.” Andrews’ blurred image was included in the film, the trailer and a book, AFTER being cleared by Georgia officials.
Andrews sued the filmmaker, executive producer True the Vote, Inc., and others for defamation, and claimed the defendants also violated Voting Rights Act and Ku Klux Klan Act provisions. QUOTE, “At all times, (the) defendants knew that their portrayals of Mr. Andrews were lies, as was their entire 2000 Mules narrative. But they have continued to peddle these lies in order to enrich themselves.”
September 30th, a U.S. District Court judge ruled that the defamation portion of Andrews’s case could go forward, while the other charges were dismissed.
We have the ruling and more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
Reuters – Fact Check-Does ‘2000 Mules’ provide evidence of voter fraud in the 2020 U.S. presidential election?
Texas Tribune – (2022) How the debunked conspiracy film “2000 Mules” became Texas Republican orthodoxy
Associated Press – (2022) Georgia man sues over false ballot fraud claim in film
NPR – (2022) Prominent election deniers are facing growing legal trouble
US DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF GEORGIA – ATLANTA DIVISION via Protect Democracy – MARK ANDREWS, Plaintiff, v. DINESH D’SOUZA, TRUE THE VOTE, INC., CATHERINE ENGELBRECHT, GREGG PHILLIPS, D’SOUZA MEDIA LLC, SALEM MEDIA GROUP, INC., REGNERY PUBLISHING, INC., and JOHN DOES
Protect Democracy – Judge Rules Against the Makers of Election-Lie-Hyping Film ‘2,000 Mules’ — Allows Case to Proceed to Discovery
Washington Post – (Paywall) ‘2000 Mules,’ a key piece of election misinformation, has its day in court
Groups Taking Action:
Protect Democracy, Campaign Legal Center, Common Cause
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#Democracy #DemocracyNews #ElectionDeniers #2000Mules #ProtectDemocracy