Judge Dismisses Trump’s Defamation Case Against WSJ
A US judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed against the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) publisher concerning a story about former US President Donald Trump's alleged connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump initiated the lawsuit last summer in a Florida federal court, seeking at least $10 billion (£7.4 billion) in damages. The suit targeted the American newspaper and its owners, including media mogul Rupert Murdoch.
The defamation claim centered on a 17 July report by the WSJ stating that Trump's name appeared in a "birthday book" given to Epstein in 2003. According to the article, Trump included a drawing of a woman's body in the message.
Following the dismissal, Trump's lawyer informed CBS News, the BBC's US news partner, that the president intends to refile the "powerhouse" lawsuit.
Judge’s Ruling and Legal Standards
US District Judge Darrin Gayles ruled that Trump failed to demonstrate that the WSJ acted with actual malice. The case was dismissed without prejudice, allowing Trump to submit an amended complaint by 27 April.
Trump's lawyer said the president will "continue to hold accountable those who traffic in Fake News to mislead the American People".
In defamation law, the standard for "actual malice" requires proof that a public statement was false and that the publisher either knew it was false or acted with reckless disregard for its truthfulness.
Judge Gayles stated in his ruling that he had to dismiss the complaint because Trump had "not plausibly alleged that the Defendants published the Article with actual malice."
Background on the WSJ Report and Related Events
The WSJ, owned by Murdoch's News Corp., published exclusive reporting during the summer linking Trump and Epstein through the birthday book. This reporting followed Democratic lawmakers releasing an image of the birthday note on social media ahead of the release of additional Epstein-related documents.
At the time, the newspaper did not publish an image of the note, but its written description matched the picture released by lawmakers.
Trump denied the authenticity of the message, calling it "a fake thing" and asserting he did not write it.
