A March 15 article written by a Sarasota journalist and published in a British-owned media outlet stating, 'Federal investigators examined Trump Media for possible money laundering, sources say' is at the core of a defamation lawsuit filed by Devin Nunes who is CEO of Trump Media & Technology Group Corp (TMTG).
Defendants include Guardian News & Media LTD, Penske Media Corporation (PMC), Will Wilkerson and journalist Chris Anderson who began working at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune in 1990.
"[Nunes]'s goal would be to make the media a bit more careful than they have been when it's covering Trump," said John Coale, lead attorney for former U.S. Pres. Donald Trump.
Prior to being named CEO of Trump Social, Nunes served as a member of Congress representing the state of California where he was Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
“Defendants published and republished egregious statements online and via social media (Twitter) that falsely accused or implied that Nunes engaged in or aided and abetted money laundering,” the April 3 complaint states. “Readers immediately understood and concluded that Defendants’ injurious statements were of or concerning Nunes. Defendants’ false criminal charges exposed Nunes to hatred, ridicule, contempt, distrust, and disgrace, and injured his business, reputation, and occupation.”
PMC, which owns Variety.com and Variety, was named as a defendant because it republished the Guardian article while Wilkerson, who formerly worked as an executive vice president at Truth Social, is now allegedly a whistleblower who works at a cafe, according to media reports.
“The Guardian Statements are materially false,” Nunes attorney Jason Kobal wrote. “The entire story is fabricated. Federal investigators never examined Trump Media for possible money laundering. There was never any criminal inquiry or investigation targeting TMTG. Federal prosecutors never examined or took a “special interest” in the two loans totaling $8m wired to TMTG. No “Russian connection” was “being examined by prosecutors in the US attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York.”
Pursuant to Florida Statute § 770.01, before any civil action of libel or slander is brought against a media outlet, a plaintiff is required to inform the offending party in writing five days before suing. The complaint states that Nunes served notice on each Defendant, requesting a retraction and/or correction but they refused.
"Assuming that none of it's true, then Nunes has to show that he was defamed with malice or with total disregard for the facts," Coale told the Florida Record. "That's where the case would be decided."