A settlement has been reached in a defamation case between the Gateway Pundit and two Georgia poll workers. The settlement was filed in St. Louis Circuit Court, and the terms were not disclosed. The poll workers, Ruby Freeman and her daughter Wandrea Moss, provided emotional testimony to the House Select Committee Investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 Attack on the U.S Capitol about the harassment they faced due to false allegations spread by the Gateway Pundit. The case was seen as a test of the limits of the First Amendment, but with the settlement, the website may avoid facing a trial.
The Gateway Pundit had spread lies about the poll workers committing voter fraud on behalf of Joe Biden. The settlement may have been driven by the failure of the website’s bankruptcy filing in Florida and the existence of a media insurance policy that could help settle the case. The settlement could mean an escape for the Hofts, the owners of the Gateway Pundit, from a potentially damaging trial and could prevent important information from becoming public.
It is unclear why exactly the settlement was reached or what it means for the future of the Gateway Pundit. The case had the potential to result in a large judgment against the defendants, similar to other high-profile defamation cases in the past. The settlement leaves many questions unanswered about the motivations behind it and the impact it may have on the far-right website.
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