President Donald Trump speaks during a FOX News Channel Town Hall, co-moderated by FNC’s chief political anchor Bret Baier of Special Report and The Story anchor Martha MacCallum, in Scranton, Pa., Thursday, March 5, 2020. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 2:22 PM PT — Friday, March 6, 2020
The Trump campaign has filed a libel lawsuit against CNN for allegedly publishing “false and defamatory” statements about debunked claims the president colluded with Russia. On Friday, President Trump’s reelection campaign filed the complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia near CNN’s headquarters.
“Today, the president’s reelection campaign has filed suit against CNN for false statements, claiming that the campaign ‘assessed the potential risks and benefits of again seeking Russia’s help in 2020 and has decided to leave that option on the table,'” campaign legal adviser Jenna Ellis said in a statement. “The statements were 100 percent false and defamatory.”
#BREAKING on @OANN: Pres. @realDonaldTrump’s campaign files libel lawsuit against cable network CNN relating to its coverage of Russian interference ahead of the 2020 election. This follows similar lawsuits against The New York Times and Washington Post in recent weeks. pic.twitter.com/FaOycnLUOS
— Emily Finn (@EmilyRoseFinn) March 6, 2020
The president’s team is seeking millions of dollars in damages. They claimed the news outlet knew their allegations were false at the time of publication and intentionally tried to hurt President Trump’s campaign.
“The campaign therefore was left with no alternative but to file this lawsuit to: publicly establish the truth, properly inform CNN’s readers and audience of the true facts, and seek appropriate remedies for the harm caused by CNN’s false reporting and (its) failure to retract and apologize for it,” read the complaint.
Representatives from CNN have yet to comment on the lawsuit.
MORE NEWS: Trump Campaign Sues New York Times For Libel