U.S. President Donald Trump has refiled a defamation lawsuit seeking at least $10 billion in damages against The Wall Street Journal over its reporting on his alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The amended lawsuit was filed in Miami federal court after a judge dismissed an earlier version, citing legal shortcomings related to proving “actual malice,” the standard required in defamation cases involving public figures.
The lawsuit targets Rupert Murdoch-owned Dow Jones, News Corp, CEO Robert Thomson, and Wall Street Journal reporters Khadeeja Safdar and Joseph Palazzolo. Trump claims the newspaper damaged his reputation by publishing an article about a birthday card allegedly bearing his signature and linked to Epstein. Trump and his legal team insist the card is fake, despite lawmakers investigating Epstein’s case later releasing it publicly. Dow Jones has defended the publication, stating it stands firmly behind the accuracy and integrity of the Journal’s reporting.
Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender, died in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial. Trump has repeatedly stated he distanced himself from Epstein years before the financier’s legal troubles became public. The renewed lawsuit is part of several legal actions Trump has launched against major media organizations, including The New York Times, the BBC, and the Des Moines Register, amid ongoing tensions between Trump and the press over media coverage and access policies.
Pic Courtesy: google/ images are subject to copyright
