Late Friday afternoon, Salem Media, the national broadcasting company focused on Christian and conservative content that owns several Colorado stations including 710 KNUS, issued an undated apology to former Dominion Voting Systems executive Eric Coomer. Coomer filed a defamation lawsuit against former KNUS host and current Republican National Committeeman Randy Corporon and conservative broadcaster Salem Media Group in 2021 over Corporon’s platforming of election conspiracist Joe Oltmann.
“Following the 2020 presidential election, several on-air hosts associated with Salem Media Group Inc. and Salem Media of Colorado, Inc. interviewed Joseph Oltmann concerning allegations of voter fraud related to the election,” read Salem’s statement. “In reliance on statements made by Mr. Oltmann, the on-air hosts published stories that Eric Coomer, PhD, the former Director of Strategy and Security of Dominion Voting Systems, interfered with the 2020 presidential election and confessed to doing so on a call prior to the election. Mr. Oltmann has since produced no evidence beyond his sworn statement that Dr. Coomer interfered with Dominion voting machines or voting software or that Dr. Coomer claimed to have done so. Nor has Mr. Oltmann produced any evidence beyond his sworn statement that Dr. Coomer participated in a conversation with members of ‘Antifa.’ Salem apologizes for the harm these publications caused Dr. Coomer and his family. Salem has removed all statements from its platforms of which it is aware that Dr. Coomer engaged in any unlawful activity, including but not limited to confessing to the same on a call prior to the election, or otherwise interfered with the 2020 presidential election, and there will be no future publication of statements to that effect. In the event any additional statements about Dr. Coomer’s alleged interference with the 2020 election are discovered on Salem’s platforms and are brought to Salem’s attention, they will be removed.”
Another KNUS host, Peter Boyles, discussed Salem’s statement on his Saturday show, during an interview with Matt Crane, executive director of the Colorado Clerks Association, who has been a leading voice in debunking various election fraud conspiracies. After reading the statement to Crane, Boyles asked him, “Do you believe that this is a precursor to an announcement of a settlement, in other words, a monetary settlement. This is hand in glove, do you believe that?”
“I would think so,” Crane responded. “I don’t know why they do it otherwise.”
Clay Clark, an Oklahoma entrepreneur, host of the Thrive Time Show, founder of the ReAwaken America Tour, and defendant in a separate defamation suit from Coomer, posted a similar apology and retraction recently.
This isn’t the first time Salem has issued a public apology over false claims related to the 2020 election. Last year, Salem issued an apology and said it would halt distribution of the conspiracy film “2,000 Mules” and remove both the film and book from its platforms.
Currently, Salem Media and local nonprofit Peak News are planning to offer a course on “journalistic ethics” with Colorado Springs School District 11.
Salem’s statement comes as jurors found MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, who also based his claims on statements by Oltmann, guilty of defamation and liable for $2.3 million in damages to Coomer. Denver District Court Judge Marie Moses, ruling on attempts by Oltmann and other defendants to dismiss Coomer’s other defamation suit, said Oltmann’s claims were “evasive and not credible,” and concluded that Oltmann’s “statements regarding that conference call are probably false.”
Coomer sued Oltmann — along with his entities FEC United and Shuffling Madness Media — ultra-conservative pundit Michelle Malkin, James “Jim” Hoft of The Gateway Pundit, podcaster Eric Metaxas, One American News Network (OAN) and Chanel Rion, Sidney Powell and her organization Defending the Republic, Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, and the Trump Campaign directly in a 2021 lawsuit.
Powell settled with Coomer last year, OANN and Chanel Rion settled with Coomer in September 2023, and Newsmax settled and issued a subsequent retraction in 2021.
Metaxas, an author and Salem media personality, posted a similar apology and retraction today.
In response to a request for comment from Coomer’s legal counsel regarding Salem, Clark, and Metaxas’ statements, a spokesperson responded, “The matters have been resolved and settled.”
Disclosure: Colorado Times Recorder reporter Heidi Beedle has been named repeatedly by Oltmann as involved in some capacity with the alleged “antifa conference call” and was erroneously identified as a leader of Our Revolution in an affidavit provided by Oltmann to former Trump lawyer Sidney Powell. Beedle was a witness for the plaintiff (Coomer) in the Coomer v. Lindell lawsuit.
