Splinter Wins Court Battle Against Ex-Trump Campaign Aide Jason Miller

NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 15: Jason Miller, communications director for the Trump transition team, walks through the lobby at Trump Tower, December 15, 2016 in New York City. President-elect Donald Trump and his transi... NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 15: Jason Miller, communications director for the Trump transition team, walks through the lobby at Trump Tower, December 15, 2016 in New York City. President-elect Donald Trump and his transition team are in the process of filling cabinet and other high level positions for the new administration. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

A federal judge ruled in favor of Gizmodo Media Group (now known as G/O Media) on Tuesday in former Trump campaign aide Jason Miller’s $100 million defamation lawsuit against the media company’s news website Splinter.

Miller filed the defamation suit in October 2018 over Splinter’s report on a court filing containing allegations that Miller had slipped a former mistress an abortion pill.

Judge Cecilia Altonaga, of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, wrote in her opinion that the article’s alleged inaccuracies cited by Miller didn’t misrepresent the court filing and that there were “no material facts in dispute” that could defeat GMG’s defense.

Altonaga also wrote in her opinion that “Under New York’s fair report privilege, codified in section 74 of its Civil Rights Law, “A civil action cannot be maintained against any person, firm, or corporation, for the publication of a fair and true report of any judicial proceeding….”

“We are gratified by the Judge’s ruling which recognizes that our reporters were simply doing their jobs and that they are protected by the law,” G/O Media said in a statement.

Read the court filing below:

Latest News
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: