Trump media company drops lawsuit against the Guardian | Donald Trump
Donald Trump’s media company has dropped a defamation claim against the Guardian and two other defendants over a report that federal prosecutors were investigating $8 million in payments the company received from entities with ties to Vladimir Putin as possible money laundering.
A filing in the 12th judicial circuit in Florida’s Sarasota County on Friday confirmed that Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG), the parent company of the president’s Truth Social platform, had withdrawn his allegations without prejudice, meaning he could reopen the case at a later date.
The Guardian reported in March 2023 that New York prosecutors had opened a criminal investigation into money sent to TMTG via the Caribbean by two entities that appeared to be partly controlled by an ally of Russian President Putin.
The Trump media group, which was preparing to merge with shell company Digital World (DWAC) to create a market capitalization of $1.3 billion at the time, was sensitive to allegations that it had received credit from a potentially bad source and sued for libel, claiming that the statements in the Guardian article were false and defamatory.
Judge Hunter W Carroll, who heard the case in November, threw out Case against Guardian News and Media Ltd; Penske Media Corporation, owner of Variety, reported the story; and Will Wilkerson, a former TMTG founder, became a whistleblower.
Carroll appointed by Trump ally Rick Scott is the Republican former governor of Florida. His decision He noted that the plaintiffs failed to prove that the defendants had actual malice in their reporting, but allowed Trump’s group to file the amended complaint they filed in January.
According to the court document, the hearing of the case was to be held on Tuesday before TMTG decided to withdraw from the case completely.
The termination notice gave no reason for the sudden decline. The Guardian has contacted TTMTG for comment on the latest development.
A lawyer representing Trump sent a statement to the Guardian in April 2024 — three months before the initial complaint was filed — saying the outlet’s reporting was “inaccurate.”
“The Guardian continues to spread the false narrative that TMTG has false links to Russia,” he said. “This is a hoax. At this point the case will continue and we are confident that the Guardian will eventually be held responsible for this libel and this story must be retracted.”
There is no suggestion that the company had knowledge of the nature or source of the loans, beyond the fact that the loans were not transparent. Neither TMTG nor its executives have been accused of any wrongdoing.
A spokesperson for Guardian News and Media (GNM) said in a statement: “We welcome Trump Media’s voluntary dismissal of its long overdue lawsuit against the Guardian.
“From the outset, the Guardian’s reporting relied on careful fact-checking, reliable sources and extensive documentation, and Trump Media’s claims were always without merit both when presented the first and second time.”
TMTG’s voluntary dismissal marks a rare capitulation from the Trump camp During his second presidency, he pursued an increasingly aggressive legal strategy against media companies.
He achieved important victories and achieved significant gains. financial agreementsIn several high-profile cases, including those against US television networks ABC and CBS.
Trump is now filing a $15 billion lawsuit against the New York Times, a refiled complaint alleging the publication tarnished his reputation as a successful businessman. He also has an active $10 billion lawsuit against the BBC over allegations the BBC edited part of his speech at a 2021 rally to be included in a documentary.
The BBC described the case as “baseless” and said it would have a chilling effect on the media’s ability to report on high-profile and powerful people around the world.
Trump’s lawsuit against the Guardian was based on its reporting of two emergency loan payments made in December 2021 and February 2022, when TMTG was on the verge of financial collapse after its planned merger with DWAC was delayed by investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
Wire transfer receipts reviewed by the Guardian identified Paxum Bank, an institution registered in Dominica, as the intermediary in the initial payment of $2 million. The Guardian also identified ES Family Trust, whose trustee Angel Pacheco is understood to be also a Paxum Bank executive, with a subsequent $6 million payment.
The criminal investigation, conducted by federal prosecutors in the southern district of New York, investigated Paxum Bank and the stock ownership of an individual named Anton Postolnikov, who appears to be a relative of Putin ally Aleksandr Smirnov.
