A high-profile defamation lawsuit has been filed against a major newspaper and one of its journalists, accusing them of spreading false and damaging information about a prominent real estate developer. The complaint was filed by Michael Mota in the Circuit Court of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County, Florida, on July 1, 2024, targeting The Boston Globe and Amanda Milkovits.
Michael Mota, a successful entrepreneur based in Rhode Island with business interests spanning from New England to Southern Florida, alleges that he has been the subject of a malicious campaign by The Boston Globe and its reporter Amanda Milkovits. According to the complaint, Milkovits published numerous defamatory articles over six months starting in March 2023. These articles allegedly portrayed Mota as a con artist involved in various fraudulent activities and falsely linked him to organized crime figures.
The complaint details how these articles have caused significant harm to Mota's reputation and business ventures. For instance, an article titled "Michael Mota and the Art of the VirtualCon," published on March 17, 2023, accused Mota of being a "mob enthusiast" whose company had failed to pay rent for months. Another article falsely claimed that Bayport International Holdings, one of Mota's companies, was defunct and worthless. Additionally, it was reported that a judge was threatening to jail Mota for ignoring payment agreements—an assertion that Mota vehemently denies.
Mota's legal team argues that these defamatory statements were made with either knowledge of their falsity or reckless disregard for the truth. They contend that these articles have not only damaged his reputation but also led to substantial financial losses. For example, due to these publications, Amos House decided not to move into a homeless shelter project developed by Mota after $600,000 worth of renovations had already been completed. Furthermore, Keith Lee removed Mota from a lucrative development project involving Sandpiper Bay Resort because of the negative press.
The plaintiff is seeking compensatory damages for defamation, injurious falsehoods, defamation by implication, defamation per se (where defamatory statements are considered so harmful they are presumed to cause damage), intentional interference with contractual relations, and tortious interference with business relations. Specifically, Mota is asking for monetary compensation for lost business opportunities and damage to his reputation.
Representing Michael Mota are attorneys Peter Ticktin, Ryan Fojo, and Brent Day from The Ticktin Law Group. The case number is: 502024CA006288XXXAMB Div: AH.