Trump's NYT Lawsuit Tossed; He's Ordered to Pay All Costs

Former President Trump's lawsuit against the New York Times was dismissed by a judge Wednesday, the Daily Beast reports. Trump sued the newspaper, three of its reporters, and his niece, Mary Trump, in 2021, alleging that his estranged niece violated a settlement agreement and turned over confidential documents to the Times as part of an "insidious plot." The newspaper ended up writing a Pulitzer Prize-winning story about Trump's tax issues using the documents, Mediaite reports. In tossing the lawsuit against the Times and the reporters, the judge also ordered Trump to pay all attorneys fees, legal expenses, and associated costs. Trump's claim against his niece, however, has not yet been ruled on.

The judge ruled that Trump's other claims "fail as a matter of constitutional law," seeing as news gathering and reporting are at "the very core of protected First Amendment activity." The judge also ruled that Trump failed to prove his claims against the paper and its journalists. “The New York Times is pleased with the judge’s decision today,” a Times spokesperson says. “It is an important precedent reaffirming that the press is protected when it engages in routine newsgathering to obtain information of vital importance to the public.” (More Donald Trump stories.)