Court dismisses Trump's $216 billion WSJ lawsuit over Epstein letter

Federal Judge Gayles on Saturday finally dismissed Donald Trump's lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), in which the president demanded 216 billion dollars. The court ruled that Trump had failed to prove the defendants published defamatory statements with actual malice, that is, a real intent to damage his reputation.

What the dispute was about

Last year the WSJ published a story alleging that in 2003 Trump sent Jeffrey Epstein a sexually suggestive fiftieth-birthday greeting with a drawing of a naked woman or girl. The card, the paper reported, contained the words: “Happy birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.” It also said the two men had something in common.

Trump denied writing the greeting and filed a federal defamation lawsuit against two WSJ journalists, the paper's owner Rupert Murdoch, the publisher Dow Jones and the media company News Corp.

What the court wrote

In its ruling, the court said the lawsuit was “grasping at straws” and was trying to “manufacture” flaws in the paper's journalistic investigation.

The financier Epstein moved among powerful people from politics, business and the arts, including Trump and former President Bill Clinton, although neither politician has been charged in connection with his crimes. In 2019 Epstein was found dead in his prison cell, where he was awaiting trial on charges of sexually abusing minors and sex trafficking; according to the authorities, he killed himself. Back in 2008, under a notorious sealed plea deal with prosecutors, he was convicted of sexual offenses and sentenced to 18 months.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz