Judge Permanently Dismisses Trump's $10 Billion Journal Lawsuit
A Miami federal judge ruled the president failed to prove the media company acted with actual malice in reporting on a letter from Jeffrey Epstein's birthday album.
By Eric Collins ·
U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles in Miami dismissed Donald Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch on Saturday. The judge ruled the case with prejudice, making the dismissal permanent and barring any refile of the claims.
Gayles wrote that the president failed to prove the defendants made defamatory statements with actual malice. The ruling described the legal effort as an attempt to manufacture flaws in the newspaper's investigative reporting.
The suit centered on a Wall Street Journal story published last year. The article detailed a sexually suggestive letter and drawing that bore Trump's name. The paper stated the items were included in a 2003 album compiled for Jeffrey Epstein's 50th birthday.
The letter was collected by Ghislaine Maxwell, a British socialite, years before Epstein's first arrest in 2006. The text in the letter is framed by the outline of a hand-drawn naked woman. It ends with the phrase, Happy Birthday and may every day be another wonderful secret, according to the newspaper.
Trump denied writing the letter and called the reporting false, malicious, and defamatory. His attorneys argued the paper and its reporters knowingly and recklessly published numerous false statements. They alleged these errors caused overwhelming financial and reputational harm to the president.
Gayles cited the Supreme Court's 1964 ruling in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan in his decision. That precedent requires public figures to show a media outlet knowingly published falsehoods or showed reckless disregard for the truth. The judge found the amended complaint's allegations regarding malice to be conclusory and vague.
The judge noted the article informed readers that Trump decried the letter as a fake and denied writing it. He also called the suit grasping at straws. This dismissal follows an initial rejection in April, after which Trump filed an amended complaint in May.
The White House did not immediately react publicly to the ruling. Trump has pursued adversarial relationships with news organizations during his second term. He is also involved in lawsuits with the BBC, The Associated Press, CNN, MS NOW, and Politico.
Source: Central Florida Public Media · original report published
