Christian media figures may face defamation trials before November election

https://baptistnews.com/article/christian-media-figures-may-face-defamation-trials-before-november-election/

Christian media celebrities and the companies that platform them are getting closer to facing the legal consequences of falsehoods they spread about the 2020 elections. Christian radio host Eric Metaxas, MyPillow founder Mike Lindell, Clay Clark of the ReAwaken America Tour and Dinesh D’Souza, the conspiracist behind the movie 2000 Mules, are among the celebrities facing defamation lawsuits and running out of legal options.

Salem Media is named in a handful of defamation cases and is clearly feeling the heat. It recently apologized for producing the 2000 Mules movie, which brought the company $10 million, and has withdrawn it from circulation. Salem also sold off the publishing company that released a 2000 Mules companion book.

Lindell has used up $60 million of his company’s profits to fund election denial events, publications and websites including FrankSpeech.com and electioncrimebureau.com. Retailers, including Walmart, Kohl’s, JC Penney, Wayfair, and Bed Bath and Beyond quit carrying his products. He also is being evicted from a Minnesota warehouse because of $200,000 in unpaid rent. The mounting pressures have challenged Lindell’s Christian witness. He called Eric Coomer a “scumbag” for suing him and has called opposing attorneys “ambulance chasing assholes.”

Dominion executive Eric Coomer has four cases against nearly two dozen people and groups:
- Metaxas and nearly a dozen other parties, including Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani
- Salem Media of Colorado and radio host Randy Corporon
- Clay Clark, producer of the ReAwaken America Tour
- Mike Lindell, MyPillow and FrankSpeech