The dismissed defamation dispute stemmed from a Wall Street Journal report examining a 2003 birthday book compiled for Jeffrey Epstein prior to his criminal sex abuse charges. That article highlighted an alleged letter bearing Trump's signature that included suggestive phrasing alongside an outline of a naked woman. Although Trump insisted the document was an entirely fabricated forgery meant to slander him, Judge Gayles concluded the news outlet had performed a thoughtful and detailed investigation before publication.
Key points
The court determined that Donald Trump's legal team failed to show the defendants acted w…: The court determined that Donald Trump's legal team failed to show the defendants acted with the actual malice required in defamation claims.
Judge Gayles affirmed that public figures cannot block unfavorable news coverage simply b…: Judge Gayles affirmed that public figures cannot block unfavorable news coverage simply by issuing denials about the authenticity of underlying documents.
The ruling firmly upheld First Amendment press protections by validating the thoroughness…: The ruling firmly upheld First Amendment press protections by validating the thoroughness of the investigation conducted by The Wall Street Journal.
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A US judge has thrown out President Donald Trump's $10bn dollar lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, ruling the suit was "grasping at straws".
Trump had sued the media outlet's parent company Dow Jones and its leader Rupert Murdoch last year after it reported on a letter allegedly written by Trump to disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as part of a birthday book in 2003, before Epstein was charged with sex crimes.
Trump has denied writing or signing the letter, which included suggestive language and a drawing of the outline of a woman's body.
Judge Darrin Gayles threw out the case, finding the suit runs counter to the First Amendment, which protects freedom of the press.
Gayles had already once dismissed the defamation lawsuit, which sought $20 billion in damages. Trump's team refiled the suit seeking $10 billion, and this time, the judge threw out the case "with prejudice," meaning the suit cannot be filed again.
The news outlet's story about Epstein's 50th birthday book, external - and the letter with Trump's name - came as…
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