The reporter at the center of a recent defamation case against cable news giant CNN announced on Monday that he was leaving the network &#8220;after 8 terrific years.&#8221;
Alex Marquardt, who worked for ABC News prior to his nearly decade-long stint at CNN, was the focal point of a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cnn-found-liable-ordered-to-pay-5-million-to-navy-vet-in-defamation-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defamation suit</a> brought by U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young. The network lost that lawsuit, and was ordered to pay out $5 million in economic and emotional damages. CNN was also on the hook for punitive damages, but the amount was never made public.
The reporter made the announcement in a post on X, saying, &#8220;Some personal news: I’m leaving CNN after 8 terrific years. Tough to say goodbye but it’s been an honor to work among the very best in the business. Profound thank you to my comrades on the National Security team &amp; the phenomenal teammates I’ve worked with in the US and abroad.&#8221;
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BREAKING: CNN reporter <a href="https://twitter.com/MarquardtA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarquardtA</a> who defamed Navy veteran Zachary Young announces he’s leaving the network <a href="https://t.co/l8tEkbWxJY">https://t.co/l8tEkbWxJY</a>
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/1929569012402311226?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The lawsuit came about after Marquardt <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cnn-under-fire-as-navy-veteran-testifies-in-1-billion-defamation-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">featured Young</a> in a story about private contractors assisting with evacuations in the aftermath of former President Joe Biden&#8217;s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. Marquardt framed the story in a way that unfairly painted Young as greedy and willing to capitalize on the pain of families desperate to get people out of the country.
As The Daily Wire previously reported, Young’s attorney Kyle Roche claimed during opening statements that the CNN report was “reckless” and that the network had “set out to destroy Zach’s reputation.”
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&#8220;They didn’t care about the truth. They cared about theater and they cared about ratings,” he said, previewing internal messages from CNN editors who stated that Marquardt’s report was “full of holes like Swiss cheese” and “80 percent emotion and 20 percent obscured fact.”
Other text messages between Marquardt and Young — and Marquardt and his colleagues at CNN — played a role in revealing just how far the reporter had been willing to go for a story that Young warned him would result in legal action.
Marquardt did not give any indication as to where he might be headed following his departure from CNN.

UnSanctioned Party In Support Of Ukraine With Actor Liev Schreiber At The French Ambassador’s Residence In Washington, D.C.

CNN Reporter At Center Of Navy Veteran Defamation Case Is Out Of A Job

Defamation

Media

Politics

US Navy

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/cnn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a> was found liable for defamation in a Panama City, Florida, court on Friday — and the network was ordered to pay out $5 million to the plaintiff, Navy veteran Zachary Young.
The jury found that CNN had defamed Young — and had done so intentionally and without concern for the impact their actions could have on Young.
WATCH:
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CNN defamation case (Zachary Young v. CNN) verdict being announced by the clerk in Bay County, Florida. Follow <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NickFondacaro</a> <a href="https://t.co/xBjTo2P0aA">pic.twitter.com/xBjTo2P0aA</a>
&mdash; Brent Baker 🇺🇦 🇮🇱 (@BrentHBaker) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrentHBaker/status/1880307610353615218?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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As reported by <a href="https://newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/nicholas-fondacaro/2025/01/17/breaking-cnn-found-liable-defamation-navy-vet-zachary-young" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Newsbusters</a>, the jury determined that CNN had &#8220;demonstrated expressed malice, actual malice, and outrageous behavior, which opened the door for a massive punitive damages judgement.&#8221;
The network was ordered to pay Young &#8220;$4 million in economic damages and $1 million in emotional damages,&#8221; with the determination of punitive damages still to come.
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The defamation came when the network went ahead with a segment focused on his work aiding in high-risk evacuations from Afghanistan in the wake of President Joe Biden&#8217;s disastrous withdrawal. In that report, put together by chief national security correspondent Alex Marquardt, Young had been singled out as the poster boy for &#8220;exploiting&#8221; desperate Afghans who wanted to flee from the Taliban-controlled country.
The segment initially ran on November 11, 2021, as part of &#8220;The Lead with Jake Tapper,&#8221; and the anchor introduced the story as follows:
<blockquote>In our world today, the U.S. government, the Biden administration says that as of last week, it had assisted in the departure of at least 377 U.S. citizens and 279 lawful permanent residents of the U.S. from Afghanistan since August 31st. Still, many Afghans, Afghans who desperately want to flee Taliban rule and Afghans who say their lives are at stake, they remain behind. As CNN&#8217;s Alex Marquardt has discovered, Afghans trying to get out of the country face a black market full of promises, demands of exorbitant fees, and no guarantee of safety or success.</blockquote>
After he was introduced, Marquardt doubled down on the characterization of Young as someone who was willing to take advantage of desperate people to make a quick buck.
<blockquote>According to Afghans and activists we&#8217;ve spoken with, desperate Afghans are being exploited like that young man, told they can get them or their families out if they pay exorbitant, often impossible amounts. One LinkedIn user posted messages with Young, where Young said it would be $75,000 for a car to Pakistan. He told another it would be 14 and a half thousand per person to get to the United Arab Emirates or Albania for another 4,000. Prices well beyond the reach of most Afghans.</blockquote>
As the trial played out, however, the jury saw evidence that Young had done nothing of the sort — and that it was likely at least a few people at CNN were well aware of that when the story went to air.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/we-gonna-nail-this-zachary-young-mfker-cnn-reporters-text-read-aloud-in-court" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Internal messages</a> from some of those involved with green lighting and reporting the story also showed that the intent was to damage Young&#8217;s reputation.
The trial continued on Friday with witnesses testifying on the subject of punitive damages that could yet be awarded.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
WATCH LIVE: Day Ten of the defamation trial against CNN &#8211; CNN was found liable for defamation &#8211; Phase 2 punitive damages determination &#8211; Witnesses testifying <a href="https://t.co/7iuC18FIUx">https://t.co/7iuC18FIUx</a>
&mdash; Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/1880334415798112390?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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CNN Found Liable, Ordered To Pay $5 Million To Navy Vet In Defamation Case

Afghanistan

Courts

U.S.

A federal appeals court panel on Monday denied President-elect Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn the jury verdict determining he was liable for sexually abusing and defaming columnist E. Jean Carroll.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ca2.60504/gov.uscourts.ca2.60504.176.1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">concluded</a> that Trump had not sufficiently demonstrated that his rights had been jeopardized by mistakes in the legal process leading to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-jury-rules-trump-committed-battery-on-e-jean-carroll-defamed-her" target="_blank" rel="noopener">verdict</a> in May 2023.
The three-judge panel determined that, even though Carroll presented no evidence of her claims, two other women who made sexual misconduct allegations against Trump and the infamous Access Hollywood tape amounted to enough evidence for a jury to conclude Carroll was telling the truth.
Carroll filed a defamation lawsuit against Trump in 2019 after he publicly denied sexually assaulting her in a New York City department store in the mid-1990s, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/e-jean-carroll-suing-trump-for-defamation-after-he-claimed-her-sexual-assault-accusations-against-him-were-false" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Carroll made her accusations just days before her book was released, and Trump responded by saying he did not know Carroll.
“I’ve never met this person in my life. She is trying to sell a new book — that should indicate her motivation. It should be sold in the fiction section,” Trump said in his initial response to Carroll’s claims. “False accusations diminish the severity of real assault. All should condemn false accusations and any actual assault in the strongest possible terms. If anyone has information that the Democratic Party is working with Ms. Carroll or New York Magazine, please notify us as soon as possible.”
Carroll then provided a photo of herself with Trump at a party in 1987, which Trump dismissed because he often poses for photos with people he doesn’t know.
“Shame on those who make up false stories of assault to try to get publicity for themselves, or sell a book, or carry out a political agenda,” Trump also said. “It is a disgrace and people should pay dearly for such false accusations.”
In 2022, Carroll filed a second lawsuit against Trump for the alleged department store rape and again for defamation after he continued to deny her claims.
Jurors specifically rejected Carroll’s claim that Trump raped her but found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation. He was ordered to pay $5 million in damages. A second trial based on Trump’s continued denials of Carroll’s allegations was held, and Trump was ordered to pay Carroll $83.3 million in damages, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/court-fines-trump-83-3-million-over-eight-times-lawsuits-request-in-e-jean-carroll-defamation-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Trump continues to appeal this verdict.
Though Carroll presented no evidence other than her allegation that Trump assaulted her – and a jury found that he did not rape her, the crux of her claim – they still determined he defamed her by denying the very allegation the jury itself found not to be true.
After winning the $83 million, Carroll told media outlets that she was going on a shopping spree, National Review <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/news/trump-loses-appeal-of-e-jean-carroll-jury-sexual-assault-verdict/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.

Donald Trump

Appeals Court Rejects Trump’s Bid To Overturn E. Jean Carroll Sexual Abuse Verdict

E. Jean Carroll

Sexual Assault

A judge in Delaware denied Deadspin&#8217;s attempt to get a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kansas-city-chiefs-fan-falsely-accused-of-blackface-sues-deadspin-over-race-baiting-agenda" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defamation suit</a> against it tossed out after the sports blog published an article that falsely accused a 9-year-old Kansas City Chiefs fan of wearing blackface at a game last year.
On Monday, Superior Court Judge Sean Lugg shot down Deadspin&#8217;s motion to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed by Raul Armenta Jr. and his wife Shannon on behalf of their son, Holden, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/defamation-deadspin-nfl-football-sports-fans-racism-795bbc257df663a94617246f3467d86c#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The young Chiefs fan attended a game in Las Vegas last November, wearing an American Indian headdress and painting his face half red and half black for his favorite team&#8217;s colors.
In an article written by Carron Phillips and published by Deadspin, Holden is accused of wearing blackface and finding &#8220;a way to hate black people and the Native American at the same time.&#8221; The main photo for the article only showed the side of Holden&#8217;s face that was painted black, and Phillips claimed that Holden was taught &#8220;hatred&#8221; by his parents.
“Deadspin published an image of a child displaying his passionate fandom as a backdrop for its critique of the NFL’s diversity efforts and, in its description of the child, crossed the fine line protecting its speech from defamation claims,” Judge Lugg wrote. “Having reviewed the complaint, the court concludes that Deadspin’s statements accusing H.A. of wearing black face and Native headdress ‘to hate black people and the Native American at the same time,’ and that he was taught this hatred by his parents, are provable false assertions of fact and are therefore actionable.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Why is <a href="https://twitter.com/Deadspin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Deadspin</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/carronJphillips?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@carronJphillips</a> trying to ruin this little kid’s life? They’re accusing him of blackface but conveniently left out his full face which was painted for the game <a href="https://t.co/kFfgAL4aDH">https://t.co/kFfgAL4aDH</a> <a href="https://t.co/750u5sfETE">pic.twitter.com/750u5sfETE</a>
&mdash; Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1729298323545235872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
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According to the Armentas lawsuit, Holden is proud of his family’s Chumash-Indian heritage and wore the headdress along with the face paint to support the Chiefs. Phillips was blasted in the lawsuit as &#8220;someone who makes his livelihood through vicious race-baiting.&#8221;
After backlash to Phillips falsely writing that Holden was wearing blackface and calling him and his parents &#8220;racist,&#8221; the writer doubled down, writing on X, &#8220;For the idiots in my mentions who are treating this as some harmless act because the other side of his face was painted red, I could make the argument that it makes it even worse. Y’all are the ones who hate Mexicans but wear sombreros on Cinco.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726313279401000&amp;usg=AOvVaw115_qPFFEePDP86-Fvo-Vd">Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here!</a>
The lawsuit also points out other articles and public statements from Phillips that focus on race and criticize the U.S. as racist.
&#8220;Accusing people of engaging in racist acts has long been Phillips’ modus operandi; his career is based on it,&#8221; the lawsuit states. &#8220;His recent articles include: &#8216;Ryan Tannehill’s ‘support’ for young Titans quarterbacks depends on if they’re white&#8217;; &#8216;We know why Simone Biles doesn’t get the same attention as Taylor Swift at NFL games&#8217; (because she is Black), and &#8216;The Chicago Bears haven’t won a playoff game since Lovie Smith. Their next head coach should be Black.'&#8221;
One month after the defamation suit was filed against Deadspin, the company was sold and its entire staff was laid off.

Kansas City Chiefs

Deadspin Loses Attempt To Toss Defamation Suit After Falsely Accusing Young Chiefs Fan Of Blackface

blackface

Leftists

Racism

<div>
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/cnn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a> could be on the hook for a big payout stemming from a defamation lawsuit over a report about a military veteran who sought to help people flee Afghanistan when the U.S. withdrew from the country in 2021 that aired on anchor Jake Tapper&#8217;s show.
New details about the court battle are coming to light ahead of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cnn-anchor-cuts-off-trump-spox-as-debate-preview-goes-off-the-rails" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN&#8217;s presidential debate</a> on Thursday between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. Tapper is expected to moderate alongside fellow anchor Dana Bash.
</div>
A Florida appellate court <a href="https://1dca.flcourts.gov/content/download/2435811/opinion/Opinion_2023-2237.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">affirmed</a> this month that U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young and his company, Nemex Enterprises Inc., could seek punitive damages for the Afghanistan story that the plaintiff alleges had improperly suggested he was an illegal profiteer.
Vel Freedman, Young&#8217;s lawyer, <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/nicholas-fondacaro/2024/06/24/cnn-could-be-forced-pay-upwards-1-billion-defamation-suit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told NewsBusters</a> his client lost $40-60 million in economic opportunity and could get up to $600 million if a jury awards him emotional damages. With punitive damages, CNN could also end up paying $1 billion, per the report.
The lawsuit alleges CNN wrecked Young&#8217;s reputation and business with its report by correspondent Alex Marquardt. Tapper introduced the segment by telling of a &#8220;black market&#8221; with demands of &#8220;exorbitant fees&#8221; and &#8220;no guarantee of safety or success.&#8221;
Internal communications produced in the case showed CNN employees call Young, the sole operator profiled in the TV and online report, a &#8220;shitbag&#8221; and &#8220;a-hole.&#8221; There was also a remark about how they were &#8220;going to nail this Zachary Young mfucker.&#8221;
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Other CNN messages revealed discussions about how the story was &#8220;full of holes like Swiss cheese&#8221; and Young telling Marquardt hours before publication that there were factual inaccuracies in the reporting — which CNN went and published anyway.
CNN argued in its appeal that it &#8220;did not intend to harm,&#8221; that its &#8220;language was either opinion or ambiguous,&#8221; and that the internal communications were &#8220;journalistic bravado that reflected a sincere belief in the reporting,&#8221; the appeals court noted in its opinion.
But &#8220;Young sufficiently proffered evidence of actual malice, express malice, and a level of conduct outrageous enough to open the door for him to seek punitive damages,&#8221; the judges said as they affirmed a <a href="https://www.law.com/dailybusinessreview/2023/08/04/florida-judge-approves-punitive-damages-in-military-veterans-lawsuit-against-cnn-afghanistan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trial court judge&#8217;s ruling</a> that came before it.
The Daily Wire reached out to a CNN representative on Tuesday seeking comment on the Florida appellate court&#8217;s ruling but did not immediately receive a response. This report will be updated if CNN does reply to the request.

2019 SXSW Conference And Festival – Day 3

CNN Could Be On The Hook For $1B+ In Defamation Payout: Report

2024 Election

Debates

Jake Tapper

Lawsuit

Former <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nickelodeon">Nickelodeon</a> producer Dan Schneider is suing producers of the documentary “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” for defamation.
The 58-year-old <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/television">TV exec</a> made a public apology for his behavior after the documentary first aired. &#8220;Quiet on Set&#8221; included interviews with Schneider&#8217;s former colleagues telling stories of a toxic workplace and what they saw as questionable actions. 
 “Watching over the past two nights was very difficult — me facing my past behaviors, some of which are embarrassing and that I regret. I definitely owe some people a pretty strong apology,” Schneider said in late March, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-nickelodeon-producer-reacts-to-child-abuse-doc-owe-some-people-a-pretty-strong-apology">reported</a>.
The new <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lawsuit">lawsuit</a> states that while he takes responsibility for his actions, “Quiet on Set” was “a hit job” which insinuated that Schneider &#8220;sexually abused the children who worked on his television shows.&#8221;
&#8220;While it is indisputable that two bona fide child sexual abusers worked on Nickelodeon shows, it is likewise indisputable that Schneider had no knowledge of their abuse, was not complicit in the abuse, condemned the abuse once it was discovered and, critically, was not a child sexual abuser himself,&#8221; the lawsuit says, per <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2024/05/01/dan-schneider-sues-defamation-quiet-on-set-series/73531094007/">USA Today</a>. 
&#8220;Defendants have destroyed Schneider’s reputation and legacy through the false statements and implications that Schneider is exactly that,&#8221; it states. &#8220;At times, he was blind to the pain that some of his behaviors caused certain colleagues, subordinates, and cast members. He will regret and atone for this behavior the rest of his life. But one thing he is not—and the one thing that will forever mar his reputation and career both past and present—is a child sexual abuser.&#8221;
The former Nickelodeon exec also told the outlet, &#8220;After seeing &#8216;Quiet on Set &#8216;and its Trailer, and the reactions to them, I sadly have no choice but to take legal action against the people behind it.”
“In their successful attempt to mislead viewers and increase ratings, they went beyond reporting the truth and falsely implied that I was involved in or facilitated horrific crimes for which actual child predators have been prosecuted and convicted,&#8221; Schneider continued. 
&#8220;I have no objection to anyone highlighting my failures as a boss, but it is wrong to mislead millions of people to the false conclusion that I was in any way involved in heinous acts like those committed by child predators. I owe it to myself, my family, and the many wonderful people involved in making these shows to set the record straight.&#8221;
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The four-part docuseries caused a stir when it premiered on March 17. Actor Drake Bell went public saying he was the unnamed victim of sexual assault at the hands of convicted pedophile Brian Peck, who was a dialogue coach at the network.
While no formal complaints of sexual abuse were made against Schneider, the documentary highlighted interactions he had with child actors who worked at the network, including airing video of him spending time in a hot tub with then-teenager Amanda Bynes.
The producer was let go from the network in 2018 amid allegations of abuse but was never formally charged with any crimes.

Dan Schneider

Ex-Nickelodeon Exec Sues ‘Quiet On Set’ Producers For Defamation

Ex-Nickelodeon Exec Sues 'Quiet On Set' Producers For Defamation

Entertainment

Nickelodeon

Television

Former President Donald Trump sued ABC News and anchor George Stephanopoulos on Monday, arguing that the news host defamed him on-air multiple times.
Trump filed the lawsuit in a federal court in Miami, alleging that Stephanopoulos harmed his reputation after the ABC News host said during an interview with Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) last week that Trump was found liable for raping writer E. Jean Carroll, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/18/us/politics/trump-lawsuit-abc-stephanopoulos.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Last year, a jury in a Manhattan civil case found the former president liable for sexually abusing Carroll, not for rape.
“Judges and two separate juries have found him liable for rape and for defaming the victim of that rape. How do you square your endorsement of Donald Trump with the testimony we just saw?&#8221; Stephanopoulos asked Mace during the interview.
In a 20-page <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.664183/gov.uscourts.flsd.664183.1.0.pdf">complaint</a>, Trump’s attorney Alejandro Brito wrote, “These statements were and remain false, and were made by Defendant Stephanopoulos with actual malice or with a reckless disregard for the truth given that Defendant Stephanopoulos knows that these statements are patently and demonstrably false.”
“Indeed, the jury expressly found that Plaintiff did not commit rape and, as demonstrated below, Defendant George Stephanopoulos was aware of the jury’s finding in this regard yet still falsely stated otherwise,” Brito added, according to <a href="https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4541257-trump-sues-abc-stephanopoulos-alleging-defamation-mace-interview/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hill</a>.
Trump has asked for an unspecified amount of damages in the lawsuit.
Mace <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nancy-mace-rips-george-stephanopoulos-over-tense-interview-about-trump-tried-to-shame-me-as-a-rape-victim" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blasted</a> Stephanopoulos during the interview after he grilled her on her support of the former president, referencing that the congresswoman had been a rape victim herself. She insisted the question was “offensive” and “disgusting.” Mace added, “You’re questioning my political choices because I’ve been raped.”
The jury in the civil case found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll and defaming her after the writer claimed Trump followed her into a dressing room at the Bergdorf Goodman department store and forcibly digitally penetrated her in the mid-1990s.
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Trump has also attempted to countersue Carroll for continuing to accuse him of rape during appearances on cable news after the jury’s verdict. U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, however, rejected Trump’s counterclaims, saying that “The difference between Ms. Carroll’s allegedly defamatory statements — that Mr. Trump ‘raped’ her as defined in the New York Penal Law — and the ‘truth’ — that Mr. Trump forcibly digitally penetrated Ms. Carroll — is minimal.”
“Both are felonious sex crimes,” Kaplan added.
The jury later <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/court-fines-trump-83-3-million-over-eight-times-lawsuits-request-in-e-jean-carroll-defamation-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">awarded</a> Carroll $83.3 million in damages, finding that Trump owed Carroll $11 million to cover the costs of a campaign to repair the harm done to her reputation and $7.3 million to address the emotional harm the 80-year-old writer sustained from remarks Trump made in 2019 about her and her accusations of rape. The jury ordered Trump to pay another $65 million in punitive damages.
“Absolutely ridiculous!” Trump said in a statement following the jury’s verdict. “I fully disagree with both verdicts, and will be appealing this whole Biden Directed Witch Hunt focused on me and the Republican Party. Our Legal System is out of control, and being used as a political weapon. They have taken away all First Amendment Rights. THIS IS NOT AMERICA!”
Tim Pearce contributed to this report.

George Stephanopoulos/Donald Trump

Trump Sues George Stephanopoulos, ABC News After Host Said Former President Was Found ‘Liable For Rape’

Trump Sues George Stephanopoulos, ABC News After Host Said Former President Was Found 'Liable For Rape'

ABC News

George Stephanopoulos

A state judge ruled against <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/notre-dame-university" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Notre Dame</a> professor Tamara Kay on Monday after the pro-abortion faculty member at the Catholic university <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pro-abortion-professor-sues-conservative-college-newspaper-for-defamation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sued a conservative student newspaper</a>, alleging it defamed her.
Kay, who teaches sociology, sued the student newspaper — the Irish Rover — last May, claiming it made “false and defamatory statements” about her in two articles that revealed the professor was promoting abortion access, even though Notre Dame states that it <a href="https://president.nd.edu/homilies-writings-addresses/institutional-statement-supporting-the-choice-for-life/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">holds</a> a view consistent with the Catholic Church opposing abortion. St. Joseph County, Indiana, Judge Steven David ruled that the court found the statements made about Kay in the articles “were true, within the meaning of the law, not made with actual malice, [and] did not contain a defamatory inference,” the College Fix <a href="https://www.thecollegefix.com/pro-abortion-notre-dame-professor-loses-defamation-lawsuit-against-student-newspaper/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
“The Court concludes that the allegedly defamatory statements were made in the furtherance of the defendant’s right to free speech, were made in connection with a public issue, were made with good faith and with a reasonable basis in law and fact,” David <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/697698325/St-Joseph-County-IN-judge-dismisses-Tamara-Kay-lawsuit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>.
Kay alleged that after the Irish Rover published its articles on her, she “has been harassed, threatened, and experienced damage to her residential property” and “has suffered mentally and emotionally.” In his ruling, however, the judge wrote that Kay “has intentionally placed herself into the national discussion on abortion” after she posted on social media and published commentary in newspapers “advocating abortion legalization.”
The professor complained about a headline used by the Irish Rover for one of its pieces, which stated that she was “Help[ing] Students Obtain Abortions.” Kay argued that the headline defamed her, but Judge David wrote that the headline “was not unreasonable given all of the facts of this case,” according to the College Fix.
The Irish Rover <a href="https://irishrover.net/2022/10/keough-school-professor-offers-abortion-access-to-student/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Kay placed a poster on her door that had a “J” with a circle around it, which “denotes Notre Dame professors who are willing to help students access abortion.”
“This is a SAFE SPACE to get help and information on ALL Healthcare issues and access—confidentially with care and compassion,” the poster said.
Judge David wrote that the encircled “J” on the poster “can most reasonably mean to infer” that Kay was “willing to help students access abortions,” which was the crux of the Irish Rover’s article.
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Kay’s lawsuit also alleged that the newspaper misrepresented her quotes. The National Review listened to the audio obtained by the Irish Rover and found that the quotes were accurate while there was some deviation. The Daily Caller also analyzed recordings of Kay and found that there were a few “minor inaccuracies” in the Irish Rover’s reporting, but its articles accurately preserved the substance of the professor’s statements and actions.

Notre Dame

Judge Rules Against Pro-Abortion Notre Dame Professor Who Sued Conservative Student Newspaper For Defamation

Abortion

Indiana

Newspaper

Notre Dame University

A federal judge ruled on Wednesday that former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> is liable for allegedly making defamatory remarks about writer E. Jean Carroll after she first publicly accused him four years ago of sexually assaulting her at a Manhattan department store during the mid-1990s.
U.S. District Court Judge Lewis Kaplan in New York said an upcoming trial scheduled for January 2024 &#8220;shall be limited to the issue of damages only.&#8221;
&#8220;The truth or falsity of Mr. Trump&#8217;s 2019 statements therefore depends — like the truth or falsity of his 2022 statement — on whether Ms. Carroll lied about Mr. Trump sexually assaulting her. The jury&#8217;s finding that she did not therefore is binding in this case and precludes Mr. Trump from contesting the falsity of his 2019 statements,&#8221; Kaplan wrote in a <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.543790/gov.uscourts.nysd.543790.214.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">25-page ruling</a>.
Trump lost a legal battle against Carroll earlier this year when a New York federal jury found the former president allegedly committed battery against the former columnist and later defamed her while denying her claim. Trump, who has long denied the allegations against him from Carroll, appealed the jury&#8217;s verdict in which he was ordered to pay $5 million in damages.
Carroll sued Trump last November in New York, the same day a new law opened a one-time, one-year window for adult sexual assault survivors outside the statute of limitations to seek civil damages for sexual battery.
Trump&#8217;s legal team filed the counterclaim in June, which said Carroll &#8220;disregarded the jury&#8217;s finding that Counterclaimant did not rape her,&#8221; as part of a separate defamation lawsuit brought by the writer in 2019 and set to go to trial in January. But Kaplan <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/judge-tosses-trumps-defamation-claim-against-e-jean-carroll" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tossed</a> the counterclaim last month.
Judge Kaplan also denied a bid from Trump&#8217;s attorneys to reduce any more damages awarded to Carroll.
Trump has dismissed his losses to Carroll as &#8220;a Miscarriage of Justice and a total Scam&#8221; on his Truth Social page.
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&#8220;The trial was very unfair, with the other side being able to do and present virtually anything they wanted, and our side being largely and wrongfully shut down by an absolutely hostile, biased, and out of control judge,&#8221; he wrote in July.
Trump attorney Alina Habba reportedly argued that Carroll&#8217;s earlier case would nullify the judge&#8217;s ruling if the appeals court favored the former president&#8217;s claim.
&#8220;We remain very confident that the Carroll II verdict will be overturned on appeal, which will render this decision moot,&#8221; Habba told NBC News in a <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-liable-defamation-second-e-jean-carroll-case-judge-rules-rcna103632" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. &#8220;We also anticipate that the Second Circuit will stay this trial as it considers the meritorious defenses that have been raised by President Trump.&#8221;
Trump is running a 2024 campaign for a second term in the White House. In addition to civil litigation, he faces multiple indictments at the state and federal levels. The former president broadly denies any wrongdoing, claiming he is the target of a &#8220;witch hunt.&#8221;
Daniel Chaitin contributed to this report.

BC-TRUMP-ACCUSER-NY

Trump Found Liable For Defamation In Second E. Jean Carroll Case, Judge Rules

A New York judge rejected former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump’s</a> request to dismiss columnist E. Jean Carroll’s defamation charges against him, only two days after Trump countersued her for defamation.
In a <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.543790/gov.uscourts.nysd.543790.172.0_4.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">46-page opinion</a>, the judge refused to dismiss the case on any of Trump’s four grounds, including “absolute presidential immunity.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/e-jean-carroll" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Carroll</a> is suing Trump for declaring in a 2019 <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/450116-trump-vehemently-denies-e-jean-carroll-allegation-shes-not-my-type/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> that she was “totally lying” in her allegation that he raped her in the 1990s.
“I’ll say it with great respect: Number one, she’s not my type. Number two, it never happened. It never happened, okay?” Trump told The Hill.
Last month, a jury found Trump guilty of sexually assaulting Carroll and also found Trump liable for defamation after he further denied Carroll’s claims in an October 2022 Truth Social post where he called Carroll’s claims “<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/judge-allows-jean-carroll-amend-pending-defamation-lawsuit/story?id=100052469">a hoax and a lie.</a>”
Carroll recently filed a third defamation claim over further remarks Trump made about the incident in a CNN Town Hall in May, while Trump filed a countersuit against Carroll for defamation over a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/28/politics/trump-e-jean-carroll-defamation/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">comment she made on CNN</a> following the jury verdict claiming that Trump raped her when the jury had only found him liable for sexual assault.
Trump asked for a dismissal of the claims in part because he said he was guaranteed “non-waivable” presidential immunity, given that he made the comments while he was still president: Trump said he made the comments in 2019 because Carroll’s accusations “threatened his ability to effectively govern the nation.”
U.S. District Court Judge Lewis Kaplan concluded that Trump did not sufficiently demonstrate that Carroll’s comments could have harmed his ability to govern.
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“Mr. Trump does not identify any connection between the allegedly defamatory content of his statements – that Ms. Carroll fabricated her sexual assault accusation and did so for financial and personal gain – to any official responsibility of the president,” Kaplan wrote.
Kaplan <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/06/29/trump-carroll-defamation-immunity-ruling-00104306" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a> that even if presidential immunity did apply, Trump “delayed unduly in raising his presidential immunity” by not invoking it at the time Carroll filed the suit, only raising it three years later.
In the ruling, Kaplan also mentioned another instance in which Trump’s actions as a president did not grant him absolute immunity &#8212; another federal judge, Amit Mehta, wrote that Trump’s January 6 speech to his supporters was not protected on the grounds of presidential immunity.
Carroll’s attorney Roberta Kaplan said the judge’s decision “removes one more impediment” to a January 15 trial.
“Trump chose to waive presidential immunity and now he must live with the results of that decision,” she said.
The judge’s rejection means that the case will likely go to trial, adding it onto the long list of pending cases against Trump, including an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-trump-says-hes-been-indicted-in-federal-documents-investigation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indictment by the Department of Justice</a> over his alleged mishandling of classified documents.

WARWICK, NEW YORK – JUNE 21, 2019: E. Jean Carroll at her home

Judge Rejects Trump’s Bid To Dismiss Defamation Lawsuit

Judge Rejects Trump's Bid To Dismiss Defamation Lawsuit

Former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> is suing writer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/e-jean-carroll" target="_blank" rel="noopener">E. Jean Carroll</a> for defamation in their protracted legal fight.
Trump&#8217;s lawyers <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.543790/gov.uscourts.nysd.543790.171.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed a counterclaim</a> on Tuesday in New York federal court, listing various instances over the years when Carroll accused Trump of raping her.
The most recent instance, they note, happened during a TV interview on May 10, one day after a jury in a separate case found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation but not for rape.
Carroll &#8220;disregarded the jury’s finding that Counterclaimant did not rape her&#8221; and said: &#8220;oh yes he did, oh yes he did,&#8221; the filing states.
Trump, who is running for another stint in the White House, has repeatedly denied Carroll&#8217;s allegations that he raped her during the mid-1990s in a Manhattan department store.
Carroll has filed multiple legal claims against Trump, including the sex-abuse suit in which the jury awarded her $5 million in damages last month. She was able to sue thanks to <a href="https://19thnews.org/2023/05/e-jean-carroll-trump-new-law-justice-assault-survivors/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York enacting a law</a> that gave alleged sexual abuse victims a one-year period to sue their alleged assailants, even if the statute of limitations on their claim had expired.
The new counterclaim from Trump&#8217;s legal team is part of a separate <a href="https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/carroll-v.-trump-complaint113-wm.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defamation lawsuit</a> filed in 2019 that is set to go to trial in January and seeks at least <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/e-jean-carroll-can-pursue-10-mln-lawsuit-against-donald-trump-judge-2023-06-13/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$10 million in damages</a>.
The court <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/03/11/carroll-trump-lawsuit-rejected/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously rejected</a> Trump&#8217;s bid to countersue last year, but the fresh attempt comes after the judge allowed Carroll to amend her <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/13/politics/e-jean-carroll-damages-trump-cnn-town-hall/index.html#:~:text=E.%20Jean%20Carroll%20arrives%20for,2023%2C%20in%20New%20York%20City.&amp;text=A%20federal%20judge%20will%20allow,at%20a%20CNN%20town%20hall." target="_blank" rel="noopener">complaint</a> earlier this month with new comments from Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-brings-rigged-election-fight-to-cnn-town-hall" target="_blank" rel="noopener">denying that he knew Carroll</a> and <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/judge-allows-jean-carroll-amend-pending-defamation-lawsuit/story?id=100052469" target="_blank" rel="noopener">calling her allegations a &#8220;hoax and a lie.&#8221;</a>
In response to Trump&#8217;s latest countersuit bid, Carroll&#8217;s lawyer <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/28/politics/trump-e-jean-carroll-defamation/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Roberta Kaplan said</a> Trump &#8220;again argues, contrary to both logic and fact, that he was exonerated by a jury that found that he sexually abused E. Jean Carroll.&#8221;
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Kaplan also said: &#8220;Trump’s filing is thus nothing more than his latest effort to delay accountability for what a jury has already found to be his defamation of E. Jean Carroll. But whether he likes it or not, that accountability is coming very soon.&#8221;
The counterclaim from Trump&#8217;s legal team seeks various forms of relief, including retractions, damages, and a denial of the relief sought by Carroll.
Trump &#8220;has been the subject of significant harm to his reputation, which, in turn, has yielded an inordinate amount of damages sustained as a result&#8221; of Carroll&#8217;s claims, the filing says.

Trump Sues E. Jean Carroll For Defamation

Rape

Former President Donald Trump could face an additional $10 million in damages in a defamation case filed by writer E. Jean Carroll for having &#8220;doubled down&#8221; on remarks made about her during a town hall event on CNN.
A federal jury in New York found Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-appeals-carroll-verdict-as-carroll-mulls-over-filing-third-defamation-lawsuit-over-town-hall-remarks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">liable</a> on May 9 of committing battery against Carroll and later defaming her when he vociferously denied her claim that he raped her in a department store dressing room in the 1990s. The defamation lawsuit involved Trump&#8217;s comments from a Truth Social post in October 2022, referring to Carroll&#8217;s allegations as a &#8220;complete con job&#8221; and saying that she &#8220;is not my type.&#8221;
Nine members of a civil trial jury ordered Trump to pay $5 million to Carroll in damages — taking just two and half hours of deliberation to reach the unanimous verdict — two weeks ago.
Attorneys representing Carroll, 79, proposed amendments on Monday to the first of her two defamation lawsuits against Trump, which would hold the former president liable for remarks made at a CNN broadcast on May 10.
&#8220;Trump&#8217;s defamatory statements post-verdict show the depth of his malice toward Carroll since it is hard to imagine defamatory conduct that could possibly be more motivated by hatred, ill will, or spite,&#8221; the lawyers wrote in the <a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/18418220/157/1/carroll-v-trump/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">complaint</a>. &#8220;This conduct supports a very substantial punitive damages award in Carroll&#8217;s favor both to punish Trump, to deter him from engaging in further defamation, and to deter others from doing the same.&#8221;
During the town hall, the former president called the verdict a &#8220;fake story&#8221; and denied he knew Carroll.
&#8220;She&#8217;s a whack job,&#8221; Trump said, adding, &#8220;What kind of a woman meets somebody and brings them up, and within minutes you&#8217;re playing hanky-panky in a dressing room.&#8221;
Trump continued to deny the accusation in a Truth Social post on Tuesday, claiming the Carroll case is &#8220;part of the Democrats playbook to tarnish&#8221; his name and likeness.
&#8220;It is being funded and tried by Democrat operatives, although this was denied by them, and when they got caught in the lie, the Clinton appointed judge would not let us use it in trial,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/110417846464005356" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;Time will prove him to be highly partisan &amp; very unfair. Where&#8217;s the dress she said she had?&#8221;
According to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/e-jean-carroll-seeks-new-damages-trump-over-post-verdict-statements-2023-05-22/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reuters</a>, attorneys for Carroll said in a letter to U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan on Monday that because &#8220;Trump&#8217;s alleged defamatory statements were essentially the same, the only open issues are whether he was immune for making the first statement, and if not what damages he owes.&#8221;
Attorneys for Trump filed a notice of appeal in New York on May 11, contesting the federal jury&#8217;s verdict that found him liable for committing battery and defamation.

Donald Trump and Kaitlan Collins

E. Jean Carroll Seeks $10 Million In Damages Against Trump Over CNN Town Hall Remarks

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