WASHINGTON, D.C.: In a setback to President Donald Trump, a federal judge dismissed his US$10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch on April 13 over a story on his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
A U.S. judge in Florida, Darrin P. Gayles, said Trump did not show that the article was published with harmful intent. However, the judge allowed him to file a revised complaint.
Trump filed the lawsuit in July after the newspaper published a story about his past connection with Epstein. The article mentioned a sexually suggestive letter, said to have Trump's signature, which was part of a 2003 birthday album for Epstein.
The letter was later made public by Congress after it was obtained from Epstein's estate. Trump denied writing it and called the report false and defamatory.
Lawyers for the newspaper and Murdoch argued that the article was true and not defamatory. But the judge said key questions, such as whether Trump actually wrote the letter or was a close friend of Epstein, cannot yet be decided.
This ruling is another setback for Trump as he tries to handle the controversy over the Epstein files and use legal action against reporting he considers unfair.
The White House and Dow Jones, the publisher of the newspaper, did not immediately comment.
