Appeals Court Says Former Trump Advisor Can't Sue Over Reporting Based On Court Documents

Appeals Court Says Former Trump Advisor Can't Sue Over Reporting Based On Court Documents

3 years ago
Anonymous $f-b3Pf4iLZ

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20210425/15313446682/appeals-court-says-former-trump-advisor-cant-sue-over-reporting-based-court-documents.shtml

You can be angry about things said about you in court filings. But you really can't sue about them. Reporting based on court documents is almost (!) always protected by the First Amendment. After all, those making the statements in court are swearing what they're saying is true. Those reporting on sworn statements have no reason to believe otherwise, even if it's eventually revealed the assertions were false.

That's the tough lesson being learned by Jason Miller, a former Trump advisor who sued Gizmodo for reporting on court filings stating he had spiked a smoothie with an abortion pill to head off an inconvenient pregnancy. Miller has always claimed this accusation is false. Splinter -- a now-defunct website owned by Gizmodo -- reported on allegations made by another Trump staffer, A.J. Delgado, back in 2018.