A New York judge has thrown out Donald Trump’s 2021 lawsuit accusing New York Times reporters of an “insidious plot” to obtain his tax records.
The former president has also been asked to pay all attorneys’ fees and legal expenses incurred by the Times. The lawsuit alleges that the newspaper sought out Trump’s niece, Mary Trump, and convinced her to “smuggle the records out of her attorney’s office.”
the daily beast first reported the news. Donald Trump had also made claims against his niece, which have yet to be commented on.
The Times’ 2018 Pulitzer-winning story relied on information from Mary Trump to cast doubt on the former president’s claims that he was a self-made millionaire, proving he inherited hundreds of millions through “dubious tax schemes”.
Robert Reed, New York Supreme Court Justice, saying that Trump’s claims “fail as a matter of constitutional law,” allowing reporters to engage in ordinary, lawful newsgathering.
The Times did not immediately respond to The Guardian’s request for comment, but a spokesman, Charlie Stadtlander, said Axios: “The New York Times is pleased with the judge’s decision today. It is an important precedent that reaffirms that the press is protected when it engages in routine newsgathering to obtain information of vital importance to the public.”
Last year, the former president also sued CNN, claiming defamation and seeking $475 million in damages. In 2020, his re-election campaign also sued the new york times and the washington post for opinion pieces linking him to Russian election interference. The cases against each newspaper were dismissed.
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