Frivolous? Hard Lens Media’s Legal Narrative Collapses Under Its Own Lies
As procedural rulings are spun into “victories,” HLM hides the court losses, default judgments, and copyright facts that tell a very different story.
For nearly two years, Hard Lens Media (HLM) has tried to reframe its mounting legal troubles as a crusade against “censorship.” Their latest broadcast — “Knight Riding With Kit! Major UpdateWith HLM Case” — is no exception. There, the company’s president Kit Cabello celebrates routine procedural decisions (a denied discovery extension, quashed subpoenas) as if they were vindications, all while their hosts and commenters call for Chicago Corner to be “sued into the ground.”
But beyond the bravado lies a reality HLM is hiding from its viewers, its supporters, and its GoFundMe donors: they’ve already lost key battles, they are losing on the merits, and their repeated claims that these lawsuits are “frivolous” are demonstrably false.
What Hard Lens Media Isn’t Telling You
There’s one critical fact absent from their recent video and GoFundMe page: on June 27, 2025, the court dismissed HLM’s counterclaim in its entirety with prejudice. That means the court found no merit in their attempt to accuse Chicago Corner of wrongdoing and in view of the with prejudice ruling, HLM is barred re-filing the counterclaim.
Despite this, HLM’s fundraising page still portrays the company as a victim of baseless litigation “designed to silence” them — a gross misrepresentation of the case’s status and substance while frivolously wasting donor funds to pay for unmeritorious counterclaims dismissed with prejudice by the Federal District Judge.
Defamation: A Court Has Already Ruled Against HLM
Even more glaring is their silence about a second legal defeat: a Cook County court has already entered a default judgment against HLM in a defamation lawsuit.
Beyond copyright, HLM’s December 23, 2023 broadcast “Exposed: Chicago Corner & Jerry Vasilatos” falsely accused Vasilatos of fraud, criminal acts, and extortion. Those statements formed the basis of a defamation suit that HLM never even answered — resulting in a default judgment in favor of Vasilatos.
That case — Vasilatos v. Hard Lens Media (2024L014288) — centers on the December 23, 2023 broadcast “Exposed: Chicago Corner & Jerry Vasilatos”, in which HLM falsely accused Jerry Vasilatos of fraud, theft, criminal behavior, and extortion. The court ruled in Vasilatos’ favor when HLM evaded service and failed to respond, prior to the default judgment being entered, thereby establishing liability for defamation and opening the door to compensatory and punitive damages.
None of this — not the counterclaim dismissal, not the defamation judgment, not the substance of the copyright claims — is disclosed in HLM’s fundraising pleas or YouTube histrionics. Instead, they continue to portray themselves as embattled journalists persecuted for exercising free speech.
Censorship” or Consequence? The Real Nature of These Lawsuits
The lawsuits against HLM are not about silencing political opinions. They are about copyright infringement, unpaid labor, and defamation — all well-established causes of action under U.S. law. Here’s what they actually involve:
Copyright Infringement: Volunteers — not HLM — created the disputed content. They were never paid, never employed, and never signed work-for-hire agreements. As such, they retain copyright ownership under 17 U.S.C. § 201(a) and Community for Creative Non-Violence v. Reid (490 U.S. 730, 1989). Chicago Corner holds the registered copyrights and nunc pro tunc assignments, establishing clear chain of title.
Unpaid Labor & Misclassification: Contributors logged more than 950 unpaid hours. Labor complaints are now pending before the Illinois Department of Labor — a process designed to protect workers’ rights and identify employer / worker misclassifications, not silence employers.
Defamation: HLM retaliated against the Illinois Department of Labor complaint by broadcasting knowingly false statements portraying Vasilatos as a criminal and con artist. Courts recognize such attacks — especially when they impute criminal conduct or professional misconduct — as defamation per se, a category where damages are presumed.
This isn’t censorship. It’s accountability.
“Frivolous”? The Facts Say Otherwise
In their September 19 2025 broadcast and elsewhere, HLM repeatedly calls the lawsuits “frivolous” and claims there’s “never been a case”.
That claim collapses under scrutiny:
A federal copyright infringement case remains active.
A defamation case has already resulted in a default judgment against HLM.
HLM’s counterclaim was dismissed with prejudice by the Federal District Judge.
A labor complaint against HLM is still pending with the Illinois Department of Labor.
“Frivolous” lawsuits do not yield judgments or dismissals of counterclaims. Chicago Corner has very substantive claims with strong legal footing.
Yet HLM has continued to conceal these facts from their viewers, GoFundMe donors, and social media followers. Instead, they continue to defame Chicago Corner and its managing operator — most recently in a September 19 2025 broadcast full of new falsehoods.
The Fundraising Grift: A Campaign Built on Omission
HLM’s ongoing GoFundMe campaign — Help Kit & Daniel Fight Unfair Lawsuits — paints a picture of a free speech crusade. In reality, it’s a vehicle for raising tens of thousands of dollars on a false narrative. Nowhere does it mention:
HLM’s counterclaim was dismissed.
That HLM has no legal claim to the disputed works.
That HLM lost a defamation lawsuit by default.
The evidence that HLM published defamatory statements is now subject to damages.
Allegations HLM misclassified volunteer workers and did not pay them while operating a for profit corporation is a violation of state and Federal labor laws.
Instead, Hard Lens Media’s principals Cabello and Luepker present themselves as free speech martyrs, hiding the most damaging truths from the very people funding their legal defense while continuing to smear the owners of Chicago Corner.
This is not just unethical — it borders on fraudulent solicitation. Donors are being misled into funding a legal fight based on distorted and incomplete information.
Testimony That Undermines HLM’s Story
The depositions of the content creators — Jerry Vasilatos, Edward Heller, and Kira Macoun — paint a consistent picture:
They were volunteers, not employees.
They were not paid for their work.
They never signed agreements assigning copyright to HLM.
Kira Macoun testified that she received only a $100 travel stipend and was never employed. Edward Heller confirmed that his contributions were self-directed and uncompensated. And Jerry Vasilatos testified that all production decisions were made independently — outside of HLM’s control. These facts mean HLM does not own the disputed works.
The Defamation Continues
Despite the court’s defamation judgment, HLM continues to slander Vasilatos and Chicago Corner in recent broadcasts — calling them liars, fraudsters, and thieves. They even accuse them of fabricating legal claims to “drive Hard Lens out of business”, “steal its assets” and cause the owners to “take their own lives” — rhetoric that not only undermines ongoing litigation but also exposes HLM to additional liability for continuing tortious conduct.
Conclusion: Defamation is not Free Speech and Accountability Is Not Censorship
Hard Lens Media wants the public to believe they are victims of a witch hunt. The truth is far less dramatic: they are defendants in legitimate legal actions arising from their own conduct. They do not own the creative works they were monetizing. They published false and defamatory statements about former colleagues and private citizens. They misclassified unpaid volunteers. And they continue to mislead the public while soliciting donations under false pretenses.
In the end, this is not about “censorship.” It’s about consequences — legal, financial, and reputational — for actions that have finally caught up with them. The law is on Chicago Corner’s side. And the public record — from copyright registrations to sworn testimony — shows that this is not about silencing speech. It’s about stopping theft, stopping defamation, and holding those who profit from lies accountable. And no amount of spin, procedural grandstanding, or self-pitying livestreams will change that.
NEXT: The Dissolution of 99 Perspectives and Hard Lens Media. Bankruptcy, Legal Chaos and a Calculatingly Concealed Death Rattle.
Editorial Note: This article is based on publicly available filings in Chicago Corner, LLC v. Hard Lens Media, Inc., No. 1:24-cv-00246 (N.D. Ill.), Vasilatos v. Hard Lens Media, No. 2024L014288 (Cook County), deposition testimony, copyright registrations, and HLM’s own public statements. All claims are documented and verifiable.
All Public Court Documents regarding the disputes between Chicago Corner, LLC and Hard Lens Media, Inc. as well as supporting documents can be viewed online at at:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1JzLnAksc9pXoTU5c1QqwO9vc_5gmbopS