Virginia Legislature Looks to Strengthen State’s Anti-SLAPP Law
Current loopholes in the state's law have lured a number of individuals into using Virginia courts to intimidate their critics. For example, of the six defamation complaints Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) filed in the past year, four were filed in Virginia.
Jeff Bezos Faces Defamation Lawsuit Brought by Girlfriend’s Brother
Michael Sanchez, the brother of Jeff Bezos’s current girlfriend, Lauren Sanchez, is suing the Amazon CEO for defamation for allegedly spreading false rumors that Sanchez shared nude photos of Bezos and his sister with the National Enquirer.
Former House IT Staffer Sues The Daily Caller For Defamation
A former House IT staffer sued the Daily Caller, reporter and book author Luke Rosiak, and Regnery Publishing for defamation. The suit, filed in D.C. Superior Court on January 28th, alleges that Imran Awan, his wife, and three others were targeted by Rosniak and the conservative news outlet who falsely accused them of crimes including hacking, espionage, and theft.
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard sues Hillary Clinton For Defamation For Allegedly Calling Her A “Russian Asset”
The defamation suit concerns comments Clinton made in a 2019 podcast with former Obama adviser David Plouffe. During the course of their interview, Clinton said that a Democrat running in the presidential primary was being groomed by the Russians.
Harvard Law Professor Files Defamation Suit Against The New York Times Over Epstein Donation Story
Harvard Law Professor Lawrence Lessig is suing The New York Times for defamation. In a complaint filed on January 13th in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Lessig alleges that the Times used a “false and defamatory ‘clickbait’ Internet headline and lede to drive readers to their story and web site.”
Hartford Police Lieutenant Sues to Unmask Anonymous Commenters
According to the complaint, some of the site’s commenters include police officers who have used the blog’s comments section to defame the lieutenant.
Judge Says Trump Can’t Dismiss E. Jean Carroll’s Defamation Suit
In her ruling, Justice Doris Ling-Cohan said that the president failed to submit any evidence in support of his request to dismiss Carroll's defamation lawsuit, writing “There is not even a tweet, much less an affidavit by defendant Trump in support of his motion."
CNN Settles Defamation Suit With Family of Covington Catholic Teen
The family of Nicholas Sandman sued CNN back in March 2019 for $275 million over their reporting of a viral encounter between the Covington teen and an indigenous activist. Among other things, the lawsuit claimed CNN targeted Sandmann because he was a supporter of President Donald Trump.