A federal judge today dismissed a defamation lawsuit worth around eight million euros filed by U.S. President Donald Trump against The Wall Street Journal over a report concerning Jeffrey Epstein.
In the ruling, U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles of Florida said Trump failed to show that the newspaper published the article with actual malice, although he allowed the president to file an amended complaint.
The lawsuit was filed in July, shortly after the newspaper published a report revisiting Trump’s relationship with Epstein, including references to a sexually suggestive letter allegedly signed by Trump and included in a 2003 birthday album for Epstein’s 50th birthday.
The document was later released by the U.S. Congress as part of a subpoena related to Epstein’s estate.
Read more about this topic: Statue of Trump and Epstein appears outside US Capitol (with video)
The ruling represents another setback for Trump’s administration in handling the fallout from the so-called “Epstein files” and his attempts to challenge critical reporting through the courts.
The Epstein case involves a vast network of sexual abuse of minors carried out over years, including trafficking girls for exploitation and alleged connections to influential figures in politics, business, and entertainment.
Epstein was arrested in 2019 and later found dead in prison, in a case officially ruled a suicide but which continues to generate controversy and suspicion due to the extent of his connections and the possibility of other individuals being involved.
