An appeals court has dismissed Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the New York Times.
The newspaper and Mr. Trump’s estranged niece, Mary Trump, were accused of “an insidious plot” to obtain his tax information in the $100 million (£79 million) lawsuit.
It refers to a Pulitzer Prize-winning series on Mr. Trump’s financial issues and was filed in 2021.
Judge Robert Reed declared on Wednesday that the lawsuit’s arguments “fail as a matter of constitutional law”.
As these activities are at the very core of protected First Amendment activity, courts have long recognised that reporters have the right to engage in legal and routine news gathering activities, he wrote in his decision.
Additionally, the Democrat judge mandated that Mr. Trump foot the bill for the newspaper and the three reporters named as defendants.
A spokeswoman added, “The New York Times is delighted with the judge’s judgement today. “It is a significant precedent reiterating the press’s right to protection when conducting routine news gathering.”
The Associated Press cited a lawyer for Mr. Trump as saying, “We will weigh our client’s options.”
The 2018 inquiry allegedly found evidence of “dubious tax schemes” involving the former president, casting doubt on his claim to be a self-made millionaire.
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The complaint claimed that Susanne Craig, David Barstow, and Russell Buettner—three journalists who covered the story—contacted and collaborated with Mr. Trump’s niece as part of a “personal vendetta” against him. It stated that they chased her tenaciously and persuaded her to turn over documents.
In a candid memoir published in 2020, Ms. Trump identified herself as the author of the tale. A decision on her motion to dismiss the particular allegations against her has not yet been made.
