Why Wall Street Journal Defamation Case Could Backfire In Discovery
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Topline President Donald Trump formally sued The Wall Street Journal and News Corp founder Rupert Murdoch on Friday for publishing a piece making allegations about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein—but the effort could ultimately work against Trump’s interests by forcing him to turn over information about his relationship with the disgraced financier. Donald Trump, now-wife Melania Trump, Jeffrey Epstein, and Ghislaine Maxwell pose together at … More Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, on February 12, 2000. Getty Images Key Facts Trump sued The Wall Street Journal, Murdoch and the journalists who wrote the story about a “bawdy” letter Trump allegedly sent Epstein for his 50th birthday, which reportedly included a drawing of a naked woman and Trump telling Epstein, “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.” The president alleges the newspaper and its employees defamed him by publishing the story, which Trump maintains is false, and by “falsely represent[ing]” the letter “as fact,” with Trump claiming the reporters and Murdoch reported on the letter despite knowing it didn’t exist. The Journal is likely to next ask the court to dismiss the lawsuit, but if that request gets rejected and the case moves forward, it will then go to discovery, meaning both Trump and the Journal can seek evidence from the other party that could help their case. It’s “reasonable” to expect the “Journal would then seek information from Trump about the nature of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein,” Katie Fallow, deputy litigation director at the Knight First Amendment Institute, told Forbes, noting that could include any communications Trump had with Epstein or records detailing their friendship. The specific information the Journal could seek will likely depend on the claims it makes in its court filings in the case—which haven’t been submitted yet—Fallow said, but…
Filed under: News - @ July 21, 2025 11:28 pm