### Gateway Pundit Admits No Fraud in Atlanta 2020 Election Amid Defamation Settlement

In a significant turn of events, the far-right website The Gateway Pundit has, for the first time, acknowledged that there was no fraud involved during the ballot counting process in Atlanta during the 2020 presidential election, when Donald Trump was defeated. This admission marks a notable concession from a major conservative outlet known for propagating election misinformation. The acknowledgment came just days after settling a defamation lawsuit with Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Shaye Moss, who were wrongly accused by the site of engaging in fraudulent activities.

The terms of the settlement with Freeman and Moss, two election workers in Atlanta, have not been made public. However, it appears that The Gateway Pundit has removed all references to the women from its site. In a statement posted on Saturday, the site's co-founder Jim Hoft commented, "Georgia officials concluded that there was no widespread voter fraud by election workers who counted ballots at the State Farm Arena in November 2020. 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 legal matter with this news organization and the two election workers has been resolved to the mutual satisfaction of the parties through a fair and reasonable settlement."

The Gateway Pundit played a key role in promulgating a misleading video that purported to show ballot fraud on election night, identifying Freeman and Moss as the culprits. The site published numerous articles falsely accusing the two women, leading to severe harassment. Both Freeman and Moss have publicly discussed the extreme threats and intimidation they faced, including death threats and people showing up at Freeman's home, instilling fear for their lives.

Despite the recent admission and settlement, the site's co-founders Jim and Joe Hoft continued to promote their unfounded claims, even holding a press conference during the Republican national convention in Milwaukee in July to defend their perspective.

Earlier, Freeman and Moss resolved a similar lawsuit with One America News Network, which also had to issue a correction acknowledging the women had not committed fraud. Additionally, a jury in Washington, DC, ruled that Trump ally Rudy Giuliani must pay the two women almost $150 million in damages. Giuliani has appealed the decision and taken legal steps to avoid payment, prompting Freeman and Moss's lawyers to request control over his assets.

The Gateway Pundit is not out of legal difficulties yet, as it still faces a defamation lawsuit from Eric Coomer, a former employee of Dominion Voting Systems, who was also falsely accused of election rigging.