Judge Dismisses Trump's $10 Billion Lawsuit Against Wall Street Journal Over Epstein Card
A federal judge ruled that Donald Trump failed to prove the newspaper acted with actual malice in its reporting on a letter allegedly sent to Jeffrey Epstein.
A federal judge has dismissed Donald Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, ruling that the former president failed to demonstrate that the newspaper published defamatory statements with "actual malice." U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles in Miami threw out the case "with prejudice," meaning it cannot be refiled.
The lawsuit stemmed from a 2023 story in which The Wall Street Journal reported on a sexually suggestive letter and drawing that the paper said bore Trump's name and was included in a 2003 album compiled for Jeffrey Epstein's 50th birthday. The letter reportedly included the message, "Happy Birthday - and may every day be another wonderful secret."
Trump denied writing the letter and called the story "false, malicious, and defamatory." A spokesperson for Dow Jones, which owns The Wall Street Journal, stated, "We're pleased with the court's decision."
Judge Gayles previously dismissed the suit in April, finding that Trump had not adequately argued malice. However, he allowed Trump's team to file an amended complaint in May. In his latest ruling, the judge cited the 1964 Supreme Court case New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, which established the "actual malice" standard. This standard requires public figures to prove that a media outlet knowingly published false information or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.
Gayles wrote that the amended complaint "falls short of pleading actual malice." He noted that the allegations regarding malice were "conclusory, vague, sometimes inconsistent with the Article, and often irrelevant to whether Defendants knew or should have known that the statements in the Article were purportedly false."
The judge also pointed out that The Wall Street Journal's reporting included Trump's denial of the letter's authenticity, stating, "Rather, it informed readers that President Trump decried the Letter as a fake and denied writing it."
The lawsuit was one of several legal actions Trump has pursued against news organizations. He has frequently criticized media outlets that publish content he opposes, often labeling them "fake news."
The birthday book in question was reportedly a compilation of messages collected by Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell for his 50th birthday. It is said to have contained messages from various public figures. Reports have also indicated the book contained a note from former President Bill Clinton.
The dismissal comes amid a period of adversarial relationships between Trump and various news organizations, with Trump having previously been involved in lawsuits with outlets including the BBC, The Associated Press, CNN, MS NOW, and Politico.