Court Rejects Bid to Throw Out Trump Case Against Pulitzer Board

Contact Your Elected Officials
The Epoch Times Header

Judgeโ€™s ruling means defamation case is moving forward.

A court in Florida has rejected a bid from members of the Pulitzer Prize Board to throw out a case brought against them by former President Donald Trump.

The boardโ€™s statement in 2022 standing behind its awards to several news outlets for reporting on former President Trumpโ€™s purported links to Russia is actionable because it is not merely opinion, Florida Circuit Court Judge Robert Pegg ruled on July 20.

Defendants withheld valuable information from readers, including the process by which complaints against the awards were evaluated, according to the judge.

In the July 18, 2022, statement, the board said that it โ€œcarefully reviewedโ€ complaints against the awards, which were given in 2018 to The New York Times and The Washington Post.

โ€œBoth reviews were conducted by individuals with no connection to the institutions whose work was under examination, nor any connection to each other,โ€ the board said at the time. โ€œThe separate reviews converged in their conclusions: that no passages or headlines, contentions or assertions in any of the winning submissions were discredited by facts that emerged subsequent to the conferral of the prizes.โ€

The brief statement, though, was not pure opinion because the board failed to identify any of the reviewers, reveal whether the reviewers had any connection to the board, and share the reviewersโ€™ qualifications, Judge Pegg said.

โ€œIf the defendantsโ€™ statement had included the foregoing facts, an ordinary reader might have been able to evaluate whether they agreed with defendantsโ€™ decision not to revoke the prizes, and whether the underlying reporting had actually survived the factual disclosures of several subsequent government investigations unscathed,โ€ the judge wrote. โ€œInstead, the alleged defamatory statement implies no fewer than seven undisclosed sets of foundational facts, making the defendantsโ€™ statement actionable mixed opinion.โ€

Under Florida law, people cannot sue over pure opinion.

The board did not respond to a request for comment.

Byย Zachary Stieber

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Thinking Conservative
The Thinking Conservativehttps://www.thethinkingconservative.com/
The goal of THE THINKING CONSERVATIVE is to help us educate ourselves on conservative topics of importance to our freedom and our pursuit of happiness. We do this by sharing conservative opinions on all kinds of subjects, from all types of people, and all kinds of media, in a way that will challenge our perceptions and help us to make educated choices.

NFL Vikings Male Cheerleader Controversy ย 

The NFL under the leadership of Roger Goodell is back to yet another controversy that is causing backlash and a possible boycott.

The Woke Left Goes Lock, Stock And Cracker Barrel

Another legendary American institution has been targeted by woke leftists. This time it is the popular family restaurant chain, Cracker Barrel, founded inย 1969.

โ€˜Indigenous Drag Story Hourโ€™: A Back-to-Public-School Treat For the Kids

I gave leading child-grooming outfit Drag Queen Story Hour my email to solicit me for funds to convert more public school kids into trannies.

Is Trumpโ€™s Throw Down Going Down?

During a recent announcement at the White House, President Trump, and other participants appeared without ties and with there top shirt buttons undone.

Defying Mr. Softee

Revived after decades of decline, the Presidential Physical Fitness Test returns as a merit-based antidote to rising childhood obesity and chronic disease.

Federal Judge Blocks Texas Law on Ten Commandments in Classrooms

Court in Texas issued preliminary injunction temporarily blocking new state law that would have required public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments.

Interpol-Led Operation Leads to Arrests of More Than 1,200 Suspected Cybercriminals in Africa

A sweeping intergovernmental operation coordinated by Interpol resulted in arrests of 1,209 alleged cybercriminals across Africa and takedown of 11,432 malicious infrastructures.

California Moves Forward on Redistricting in Retaliation Against Texas

California signed an order to redraw its election boundaries to favor Democrats in a retaliatory act, ahead of a Texas Republican effort to do the same.

Truck Driver Accused by Trump Administration of Being in the US Illegally Is Denied Bond

A illegal alien truck driver accused of making an illegal U-turn that killed three people in Florida last week was denied bond Saturday.

Trump Warns He May Send Troops to Baltimore to Fight Crime

President Trump suggested heโ€™s contemplating sending National Guard troops to Baltimore, Maryland, to fight โ€œcrime disasterโ€ in the city.

Trumpโ€™s Tariffs Will Reduce Deficits by $4 Trillion Over Next Decade, Says CBO Report

A report released by the CBO predicted that President Donald Trumpโ€™s tariffs will reduce federal deficits by around $4 trillion over the next decade.

USDA Issues Memorandum Prioritizing American Energy on National Forest Lands

Secretary Rollins said that the United States will no longer allow foreign-made solar panels or inefficient energy projects to undermine national security.

US Pauses Visas for Commercial Truck Drivers, Citing Safety and Other Impacts

The Trump administration will immediately pause the issuance of all worker visas for commercial truck drivers, Sec of State Marco Rubio said.
spot_img

Related Articles