The Gateway Pundit, a far-right blog that has frequently peddled political misinformation, has filed for bankruptcy, citing the lawsuits it faces over its conspiracy-fueled coverage of the 2020 presidential election.
In a statement Wednesday, founder Jim Hoft blamed “progressive liberal lawfare attacks against our media outlet” and said that the decision to seek Chapter 11 protection “is not an admission of fault or culpability,” but rather is intended to “consolidate this lawfare in one court for ultimate resolution.”
Founded in 2004, The Gateway Pundit gained notoriety during the 2016 election, as its promotion of conspiracy theories (such as that Hillary Clinton was in poor health) helped it gain ground among Donald Trump’s supporters. The Trump administration would go on to grant Hoft press credentials to the White House.
In January, during this year’s GOP presidential primaries, Trump shared a post from the site promoting a racist birther conspiracy theory about Nikki Haley.
A Reuters investigation found that the blog’s coverage of the 2020 election results, which it routinely painted as rigged against Trump, led to a raft of violent threats against election workers. Several people have filed lawsuits accusing the website of defamation, including former Georgia election workers Shaye Moss and Ruby Freeman, who late last year won a defamation lawsuit against Rudy Giuliani that led him to file for bankruptcy.
Despite its bankruptcy filing, The Gateway Pundit continues to publish. Hoft said in his statement that the website will “not be deterred from our mission of remaining fearless and being one of the most trusted independent media outlets in America today.”
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com