Authored by Tom Gantert via The Epoch Times,
A federal judge on Oct. 31 dismissed President Donald Trump's defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal's publisher and other defendants over an article about a birthday letter allegedly sent to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles in Miami ruled that Trump failed to adequately allege actual malice, the standard requiring public figures to show defendants published information knowing it was false or recklessly disregarding whether it was false.
The dismissal was with prejudice, meaning Trump cannot file another amended complaint. Trump had sought $10 billion in the lawsuit.
In his ruling, Gayles wrote that Trump was "grasping at straws."
The judge noted that Trump's complaint said the defendants only "reviewed" the letter but did not have a copy of it in their possession.
"The Court cannot discern any substantive difference - and certainly not one that would establish actual malice - between Defendants reviewing the Letter before publication and obtaining a copy of the Letter. Defendants reviewed the Letter and later reported on its contents. N
