A judge has dropped author Michael Wolff’s lawsuit against Melania Trump. The author had written four books about Donald Trump and filed the lawsuit last year. It was to prevent the first lady from filing a $1 billion defamation suit against Wolff for his past remarks linking her to deceased sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. The judge tossed the lawsuit, chiding the author for his “inappropriate level of tactical gamesmanship.”
Judge dismisses lawsuit against Melania Trump
U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil dismissed author Michael Wolff’s lawsuit against Melania Trump on Friday. Wolff had filed the lawsuit last year after the first lady’s lawyer, Alejandro Brito, informed him in a letter that she would file a lawsuit against him if he did not retract his statements linking her to Jeffrey Epstein. Brito stated that Wolff’s remarks have caused Melania “overwhelming reputational and financial harm.”
In her 45-page ruling on Friday, Judge Vyskocil stated that even though Wolff and Melania Trump “have a real dispute, they must litigate it according to the same procedures as everyone else.” Vyskocil tossed the lawsuit, stating, “Plaintiff asks for a declaration that, if the First Lady sues him, he deserves to win. That is not how the federal courts work. He also contends that he should not be in federal court at all. But, while it may have started in state court, this case was properly removed.”
Vyskocil further stated, “There are many features of this case that make it complicated: the prominence of the personalities involved, the scandalizing content of the underlying statements, and, frankly, an inappropriate level of tactical gamesmanship.”
Melania’s spokesperson Nick Clemens said in a statement that the first lady “is proud to continue standing up to, and fighting against, those who spread malicious and defamatory falsehoods as they desperately try to get undeserved attention and money from their unlawful conduct.”
The ruling comes just a month after Melania Trump gave a statement denying any ties to Epstein. She said, “The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today. The individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility, and respect. I do not object to their ignorance, but rather I reject their mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation.”
Originally reported by Namrata Ghosh on Mandatory.
