Right-wing propaganda outlet OANN admits 'no widespread voter fraud' as part of defamation settlement

The far right-wing propaganda cable channel One America News (OAN, or OANN) issued a statement admitting the was “no widespread voter fraud” by Georgia election workers, apparently as part of a defamation lawsuit settlement brought by two of the workers. OAN has been a devout supporter and promoter of Donald Trump and his MAGA movement, propagating conspiracy theories and outright falsehoods.

The pre-recorded 30-second spot aired Monday, The Daily Beast reports. An OAN host calls the segment “an updated report,” and attributes the findings of no election fraud to “Georgia officials.”

“The results of this investigation indicate that Ruby Freeman and Wandrea ‘Shaye’ Moss did not engage in ballot fraud or criminal misconduct while working at State Farm Arena on election night,” a narrator says. “A legal matter with this network and the two election workers has been resolved to the mutual satisfaction of the parties through a fair and reasonable settlement.”

The Daily Beast adds that “Freeman and her daughter, Moss, say they were harassed online and in person after baseless rumors began circulating online, due in part to content published by the conspiracy website The Gateway Pundit, which the pair also sued. In January 2021, when Trump pressured Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to try to ‘find’ votes to overturn the state’s election results, he mentioned Freeman’s name 18 times. Freeman was also visited by a publicist for Kanye West, who threatened her in an effort to extract a confession about committing election fraud.”

CNN reported in December: “In her complaint, Freeman said that because of the election fraud accusations, the FBI advised her to leave her home from January 6, when a mob surrounded it, through the presidential inauguration later that month. She received hundreds of harassing emails, texts and calls — even a Christmas card that said, ‘You deserve to go to jail, you worthless piece of sh*t whore.'”