Nick Sandmann’s Lawyers Respond To CNN Settling After $275 Million Lawsuit; CNN Confirms Settlement

CNN confirmed Tuesday that it has settled for an undisclosed amount with Nick Sandmann, one of the Covington Catholic High School students smeared by multiple news outlets after a video of a “standoff” between the teens and a Native American activist went viral. Following initial reports on the settlement, Sandmann’s lawyers have each issued brief public statements making clear their work on the young man’s behalf isn’t done.

After multiple news outlets and media figures smeared him and his peers for allegedly “blocking” and “harassing” a Native American activist Nathan Phillips, whose account of the confrontation was quickly discredited by additional footage of the situation, Sandmann sued CNN, The Washington Post, and NBC Universal for hundreds of millions of dollars.

Sandmann, who is represented by high-powered attorneys Todd McMurtry and Lin Wood, was seeking $275 million from CNN. Fox 19 reported that CNN agreed Tuesday to settle the lawsuit against Sandmann. “The amount of the settlement was not made public during a hearing at the federal courthouse in Covington,” Fox reported.

On Tuesday, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported that CNN had confirmed that they had indeed reached a settlement with Sandmann. “A CNN spokesperson confirmed Tuesday with The Enquirer that a settlement was reached,” the outlet reported. “The network would not comment on the details of the settlement.”

Sandmann’s lawyers have issued statements following reports on the settlement, and both made a point of stressing that they are far from done in seeking justice for their client.

“I want to thank everyone for the many good wishes received today,” McMurtry tweeted Tuesday. “Now, [Lin Wood] and I turn our attention to [NBC News], [The Washington Post] and additional defendants to be named soon.”

I want to thank everyone for the many good wishes received today. Now, @LLinWood and I turn our attention to @NBCNews, @washingtonpost
and additional defendants to be named soon. #NickSandmann https://t.co/HeJ0TrwJ8q

— Todd V. McMurtry (@ToddMcMurtry) January 7, 2020

As The Daily Wire reported, in an interview with Fox News last year, Wood pointed to CNN as having launched the most “vicious” and unfair series of attacks on Sandmann.

“CNN was probably more vicious in its direct attacks on Nicholas than The Washington Post. And CNN goes into millions of individuals’ homes,” Wood told Fox News’ Mark Levin. “CNN couldn’t resist the idea that here’s a guy with a young boy, with that Make America Great Again cap on. So they go after him.”

“They really went after Nicholas with the idea that he was part of a mob that was attacking the Black Hebrew Israelites, yelling racist slurs at the Black Hebrew Israelites. Totally false,” Wood continued. “Now you say you’ve seen the tape; if you took the time to look at the full context of what happened that day, Nicholas Sandmann did absolutely nothing wrong. He was, as I’ve said to others, he was the only adult in the room.”

In February 2019, Sandmann’s lawyers released the following list of 54 individuals and news organizations to which they sent letters instructing them to preserve evidence for potential defamation lawsuits:

1. The Washington Post
2. The New York Times
3. Cable News Network, Inc. (CNN)
4. The Guardian
5. National Public Radio
6. TMZ
7. Atlantic Media Inc.
8. Capitol Hill Publishing Corp.
9. Diocese of Covington
10. Diocese of Lexington
11. Archdiocese of Louisville
12. Diocese of Baltimore
13. Ana Cabrera (CNN)
14. Sara Sidner (CNN)
15. Erin Burnett (CNN)
16. S.E. Cupp (CNN)
17. Elliot C. McLaughlin (CNN)
18. Amanda Watts (CNN)
19. Emanuella Grinberg (CNN)
20. Michelle Boorstein (Washington Post)
21. Cleve R. Wootson Jr. (Washington Post)
22. Antonio Olivo (Washington Post)
23. Joe Heim (Washington Post)
24. Michael E. Miller (Washington Post)
25. Eli Rosenberg (Washington Post)
26. Isaac Stanley-Becker (Washington Post)
27. Kristine Phillips (Washington Post)
28. Sarah Mervosh (New York Times)
29. Emily S. Rueb (New York Times)
30. Maggie Haberman (New York Times)
31. David Brooks (New York Times)
32. Shannon Doyne
33. Kurt Eichenwald
34. Andrea Mitchell (NBC/MSNBC)
35. Savannah Guthrie (NBC)
36. Joy Reid (MSNBC)
37. Chuck Todd (NBC)
38. Noah Berlatsky
39. Elisha Fieldstadt (NBC)
40. Eun Kyung Kim
41. HBO
42. Bill Maher
43. Warner Media
44. Conde Nast
45. GQ
46. Heavy.com
47. The Hill
48. The Atlantic
49. Bustle.com
50. Ilhan Omar
51. Elizabeth Warren
52. Kathy Griffin
53. Alyssa Milano
54. Jim Carrey

Related: Leftists Enraged Over Nick Sandmann Defeating CNN. Conservatives Celebrate.