Former President Donald Trump announced on social media on 18/7, "We have just filed a strong lawsuit against all those involved in publishing the false, malicious, defamatory, fake news ‘article’ in the useless Wall Street Journal".
The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of Florida federal court, targets media mogul Rupert Murdoch, News Corp, Dow Jones, and two Wall Street Journal reporters. Murdoch is a founding member of News Corp, and Dow Jones, the parent company of the Wall Street Journal, is a subsidiary of the corporation.
Trump accuses the defendants of defamation, acting with malicious intent, causing him significant reputational and financial damage. He is seeking at least USD 10 billion in damages.
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Former President Donald Trump at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on 15/7. Photo: AFP |
Former President Donald Trump at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on 15/7. Photo: AFP
Trump added, "This lawsuit represents not only your favorite President, me, but also stands up for all Americans who will no longer tolerate the wrongdoing and abuse of the fake news media."
Murdoch and the related companies have not yet commented.
The Wall Street Journal previously reported on a letter signed "Donald Trump" found in Jeffrey Epstein's 2003 birthday card collection. The letter contained a few typed lines, framed by a drawing of a naked woman, seemingly hand-drawn with a thick marker.
The letter ended with: "Happy birthday and may each day be another wonderful mystery".
Trump denied writing the letter or drawing the explicit image, and warned he would sue the newspaper if they published the story. "I’ve never drawn a picture in my life. I don’t draw women. That’s not my language. Not my verbiage," he stated.
Trump has recently been under pressure after the US Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released a memo concluding there was no evidence that Epstein "kept a client list" or blackmailed powerful individuals, as rumored.
These agencies also confirmed that Epstein committed suicide in a Manhattan jail in 8/2019, rather than being murdered as some suspected, and would not release further information about the investigation.
Trump has also repeatedly urged Republican voters not to "waste time" on the case, alleging that the "Epstein file" is a Democratic hoax for political purposes.
This has caused discontent among some of Trump's supporters who believed the rumors, especially as the Republican politician had previously stated he would "not hesitate" to release documents related to the Epstein case upon returning to the White House.
On 17/7, Trump announced that he had requested the Department of Justice to petition the court to release the grand jury testimony records related to Epstein.
Pham Giang (Reuters, CNN)
