Federal Judge Dismisses Trump’s Libel Suit Against CNN

Trump was so offended by a CNN article that he filed a libel lawsuit. On Thursday, a federal judge dismissed it.

Donald Trump’s campaign filed a lawsuit against CNN for the publication of an opinion piece pertaining to former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian election meddling.

The article was written by CNN contributor and former general counsel of the Federal Election Commission Larry Nobel, who said in his own words that soliciting dirt from a foreign government like Russia when it came to a political opponent is a crime that Trump officials should have been held accountable for.

He also noted that Donald Trump’s team “assessed the potential risks and benefits of again seeking Russia’s help in 2020 and has decided to leave that option on the table.”

Trump officials sought to prosecute CNN for what they said were defamatory and false statements, accusing the news outlet of knowing the information was false but still allowing it to be published. Furthermore, it accused CNN of being bias against Trump.

The case was heard in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. Judge Michael L. Brown presided over the case, ruling that the prosecution did not have plausible allegations that CNN acted with malice intentions when publishing Nobel’s opinion piece.

When it comes to libel acts on defamatory statements regarding public people like Donald Trump, they must be made with “actual malice,” CNN reports. In other words, the publishers must know the information is false or perhaps acted recklessly on whether it was true for a court to side in their favor.

“Most of the allegations in the complaint regarding actual malice are conclusory,” Brown wrote in his ruling. He added that the Trump campaign did not bring sufficient evidence to “support a cause of action.”

The plaintiffs have until November 30 to file an amended complaint.

CNN is one of many major news organizations that were hit with a lawsuit by the Trump team.
One thing for sure, lawsuits aren’t cheap. There will be some hefty legal expenses and attorney fees when everything is all said and done.