Judge dismisses Trump's $10 billion Wall Street Journal lawsuit

The federal court system has permanently closed the door on one of the largest media lawsuits in recent history. On Saturday, U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles in Miami threw out Donald Trump's $10 billion claim against The Wall Street Journal and media owner Rupert Murdoch. The judge dismissed the case with prejudice, a legal term meaning the suit cannot be refiled and the decision is final.

The ruling centers on the legal standard for public figures suing for defamation. Judge Gayles determined that Trump did not prove the defendants published false statements with actual malice. The judge stated that the lawsuit attempted to manufacture flaws in the newspaper's investigative reporting. Under the Supreme Court's 1964 decision in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, public figures must show that a media outlet knowingly published false information or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.

The dispute involves a story published last year by The Wall Street Journal. The article described a sexually suggestive letter and drawing that appeared in a 2003 album compiled for Jeffrey Epstein's 50th birthday. The newspaper reported that the item bore Trump's name and was collected by Ghislaine Maxwell. The letter featured text framed by an outline of a naked woman and ended with the phrase, "Happy Birthday and may every day be another wonderful secret."

Trump denied writing the letter and characterized the reporting as false, malicious, and defamatory. His lawyers argued that the paper and its reporters knowingly and recklessly published numerous false and disparaging statements. The complaint alleged that the coverage caused overwhelming financial and reputational harm to the president. Judge Gayles noted in his ruling that the newspaper's story did not ignore or minimize Trump's denial of authorship. Instead, the article informed readers that the president decried the letter as a fake.

This is the second time Judge Gayles has struck down the lawsuit. In April, the judge dismissed the initial filing because Trump failed to argue that the article was published with malicious intent. The judge then allowed Trump to file an amended complaint, which was submitted in May. In his Saturday decision, Gayles wrote that the amended complaint fell short of pleading actual malice. He described the allegations regarding malice as conclusory, vague, and sometimes inconsistent with the article.

The dismissal occurs during a period of heightened tension between the Trump administration and news organizations. The White House has pursued adversarial relationships with various outlets during this second term. In addition to the Wall Street Journal, legal disputes are ongoing with the BBC, The Associated Press, CNN, MS NOW, and Politico. These outlets are currently suing for restored access after being banished from the White House in mid-September. The White House did not immediately react publicly to Saturday's dismissal or respond to requests for comment.

Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail cell in August 2019. At the time of his death, he was awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. The timeline of the letter in question predates his first arrest in 2006 and his later falling out with Trump. Judge Gayles also found that several other specific allegations in the lawsuit lacked merit. The decision stands as a final judicial determination on the matter.