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Judge Dismisses Trump's $10B Defamation Suit Against WSJ
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In Short: Trump's original lawsuit sought $20 billion before being dismissed in April, and the refiled suit sought $10 billion.
U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles in Miami dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled.
Judge Gayles cited the Supreme Court's 1964 ruling in New York Times Co. V. Sullivan, which established that public figures must prove actual malice to win defamation cases.
Gayles ruled Trump did not prove the defendants made defamatory statements with actual malice, as required by law.
The judge noted that the lawsuit was 'grasping at straws' and attempting to 'manufacture' flaws in the Journal's reporting.
What this adds
This ruling marks another setback for Trump's legal battles with the press.
The dismissal is permanent and cannot be refiled.
The lawsuit targeted a Wall Street Journal story that linked Trump to Epstein through a letter and drawing.
Background
A federal judge dismissed President Donald Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal over a story about a birthday letter allegedly sent to Jeffrey Epstein.
What's confirmed
- Judge Gayles ruled the president did not prove the defendants made defamatory statements with actual malice as required by law and the suit had attempted to "manufacture" flaws in the newspaper's reporting.
- In Saturday's ruling, the judge cited the Supreme Court's landmark 1964 ruling in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan.
- ( AP: Jacquelyn Martin ) A federal judge has thrown out US President Donald Trump's $US10 billion ($14 billion) lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and media mogul Rupert Murdoch over a story reporting on his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
- A federal judge Saturday tossed President Donald Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and its owner, Rupert Murdoch, over a story reporting Trump’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
- U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles in Miami dismissed the suit with prejudice, ruling that the president did not prove the defendants made defamatory statements with actual malice as required by law.
What's still developing
- Gleason wrote in a 20-page order Sunday that the Justice Department did not have proper legal standing to bring the suit last week.
- The president originally sued for $20 billion before Judge Gayles tossed that first complaint in April.
- Maria Avila won a $12.9 million verdict against Chris Brown this summer, and now a judge says that number was too big.
- But Rennie allowed the suit against two companies associated with her – Candace Owens LLC and GeorgeTom Inc – to continue.
- As we previously reported in 2020, Young and his publishing company, Silver Fiddle Music, filed a copyright infringement suit against Trump’s presidential campaign over the use of “Rockin’ in the Free World,” as well as “Devil’s Sidewalk,” at rallies.
- A federal judge in Florida dismissed President Donald Trump’s $10 billion libel lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and its owners Saturday, ruling that he failed to plausibly prove the newspaper knowingly published false information or recklessly disregarded the truth.
- President Donald Trump was threatened by a judge with sanctions if he doesn’t sit for a deposition in the $10 billion defamation lawsuit he filed against the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
- The judges noted that the show's criticism did not cross the legal line into defamation.
- The two sides have discussed Paramount potentially agreeing to run Warner Bros. studio separately for some period of time, per the Wall Street Journal David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance is in “advanced talks” with California Attorney General Rob Bonta to settle the 12-state antitrust suit that’s holding up its takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing anonymous sources.