Few Supreme Court precedents have shaped American political speech more than New York Times v. Sullivan, the 1964 decision that made it much harder for public officials, and later public figures, to win defamation lawsuits. Supporters say that high bar protects free debate, especially criticism of powerful people. Critics say it’s become a legal bunker…
Trump vs. The New York Times
Last week, on Monday, September 16, President Trump decided to take his long-simmering feud with The New York Times from the podium to the courtroom, filing a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against the paper, several of its reporters, and even its publisher, Penguin Random House. The suit accused them of maliciously distorting his business record,…
Accountability Knows No Party: Reflecting on the E. Jean Carroll Case and Justice in Leadership
Well, folks, here we are again, facing yet another twist in the never-ending saga of American politics. The U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a jury's verdict requiring President-elect Donald Trump to pay $5 million in damages to E. Jean Carroll for sexual abuse and defamation. Now, as an independent Christian conservative, I…