The legal case filed by Donald Trump against The New York Times and his niece, Mary Trump, has been thrown out by a New York judge. Trump had accused the paper, its reporters, and his niece of plotting an “insidious plot” to gather his financial records for an extensive story on his tax evasion practices. Mary Trump had filed to have the case dismissed, which the judge ultimately granted.
The article, which was published after 18 months of investigation, won the Pulitzer Prize in Explanatory Writing in 2019. It debunked Trump’s self-made wealth claims and uncovered his business empire’s tax dodges. Court documents claimed that Mary Trump had worked with the paper to “smuggle records out of her attorney’s office and turn them over,” which she later confirmed in her book, “Too Much and Never Enough.”
Trump had also accused the three reporters involved in the investigation of being “motivated, at least in part, by their actual malice.” However, New York Supreme Court Justice Robert R. Reed ruled that Trump’s claims failed as a matter of constitutional law and that the newspaper’s ability to research is “the very core of protected First Amendment activity.”
In response to the decision, a spokesperson for The New York Times said that the paper was pleased with the judge’s decision, adding that it was an important precedent reaffirming the press’s protection when engaging in routine news gathering to obtain information of vital importance to the public.
This is not the first time that Trump has sued The New York Times, and it remains to be seen if he will pursue further legal action. As of now, neither he nor Mary Trump have commented on this particular case.
What is likely to happen to Donald Triumph ?
It is unclear what the specific legal consequences will be for Donald Trump in relation to this case. However, the judge’s decision to dismiss the case and order Trump to pay all attorneys’ fees and legal expenses suggests that the court found his claims to be without merit.
Trump has a history of pursuing legal action against the media, and this decision may be seen as a setback for his ongoing efforts to challenge negative coverage of himself and his administration. It is possible that Trump may appeal the decision, but ultimately, it will be up to the courts to decide whether any further legal action is warranted.
