Federal Judge Tosses Trump’s $15 Billion Lawsuit Against New York Times (Connecting the Dot: New York Times, Judge Steven Merryday, Vice President Kamala Harris, The Belizean Grove, The Bohemian Club, Truman National Security Project, Letitia James, The Committee on Economic Development & Soros Funding, All Networking)
The
legal complaint against the newspaper was filed on Sept. 15.
The Epoch
Times
Matthew
Vadum
9/19/2025|Updated:
9/19/2025
A
federal district judge in Florida threw out President Donald Trump’s
multibillion-dollar defamation lawsuit against The New
York Times on
Sept. 19.
U.S.
District Judge Steven Merryday said
in a ruling
that the lawsuit as it currently stands violates court rules.
The
suit “stands unmistakably and inexcusably athwart the requirements of Rule 8”
of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the judge said.
“As
every lawyer knows (or is presumed to know), a complaint is not a public forum
for vituperation and invective—not a protected platform to rage against an
adversary.
“A
complaint is not a megaphone for public relations or a podium for a passionate
oration at a political rally or the functional equivalent of the Hyde Park
Speakers’ Corner,” Merryday continued, referring to a famous public forum in
London, England.
The
lawsuit was filed Sept. 15.
That
rule requires that a legal complaint must include “a short and plain statement
of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.”
While
the complaint weighs in at 85 pages, the first count does not appear until page
80; the second appears on page 83.
“Even
under the most generous and lenient application of Rule 8, the complaint is
decidedly improper and impermissible,” the judge said.
Merryday
ordered that the complaint be struck and gave Trump permission to amend it
within 28 days.
Trump
filed the lawsuit over articles and a book written by two New York Times
reporters and published during the height of the 2024 election, alleging that
they were crafted with “actual malice, calculated to inflict maximum damage” on
him.
The
Supreme Court held in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan (1964) that public figures
must prove actual malice, a higher legal standard than the negligence required
for private citizens.
Public
figures cannot win damages for libel if they fail to establish that a statement
was issued with actual malice, which has been defined as “with knowledge that
it was false or with reckless disregard of whether it was false or not.”
“Defendants
maliciously published the book and the articles knowing that these publications
were filled with repugnant distortions and fabrications about President Trump,”
the lawsuit reads.
The
lawsuit also named book publisher Penguin Random House as one of the
defendants.
The
legal complaint describes “Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His
Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success,” a book published by
Penguin Random House in September 2024, as “malicious, defamatory, and
disparaging.”
The
book is now the number 20 most-read book on Amazon, the complaint said.
The
goal of the defendants named in the lawsuit is to “tarnish [Trump’s] legacy of
achievement, destroy his reputation as a successful businessman, and subject
him to humiliation and ridicule.”
Trump
previously announced the lawsuit in a Truth Social post, saying that The New
York Times had become “a virtual mouthpiece for the radical left Democrat
Party,” citing its endorsement of then-Democratic presidential candidate and Vice
President Kamala Harris.
Trump
accused The New York Times of spreading lies about him, his family, his
businesses, the America First Movement, the Make America Great Again (MAGA)
movement, and the nation as a whole.
“The
New York Times has been allowed to freely lie, smear, and defame me for far too
long, and that stops, NOW,” the president said in his post.
A
spokesperson for The New York Times hailed the decision dismissing the lawsuit.
“We
welcome the judge’s quick ruling, which recognized that the complaint was a
political document rather than a serious legal filing,” the spokesperson told
The Epoch Times.
A
Penguin Random House spokesperson also praised the ruling.
“We
applaud the judge’s decision, which recognizes and dismisses such an ‘improper
and impermissible’ complaint,” the spokesperson told The Epoch Times.
The
Epoch Times reached out for comment to Trump’s attorney, Alejandro Brito of
Coral Gables, Florida. No reply was received by publication time.
Aldgra
Fredly contributed to this report.
Connecting
the Dots:
Judge Steven Merryday
is a senior United
States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle
District of Florida and was nominated by George H. W. Bush.
George H.W.
Bush nominated Judge Steven Merryday and was a member of
the Bohemian Club.
Belizean_Grove is
the equivalent to the male-only social group, the Bohemian Club.
Sonia Sotomayor was
a member of the Belizean Grove and is a justice
for the U.S. Supreme Court.
Henry A. Kissinger was a member of the Bohemian
Club, a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States
(think tank) and a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think
tank).
Richard R. Burt
is a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank)
and was a correspondent for the New York Times.
Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).
George Soros is
the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations and
was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Aspen
Institute (think tank).
Henrietta
Holsman Fore is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank)
and a member of the Belizean Grove.
Belizean_Grove is
the equivalent to the male-only social group, the Bohemian Club.
Madeleine K.
Albright was a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank),
an honorary director at the Atlantic Council of the United States
(think tank), an advisory board member of the Truman
National Security Project and the president of the Truman
Center for National Policy.
Richard R. Burt is a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and was a correspondent for the New York Times.
R. Hunter Biden is a director at the Truman National Security
Project, a director at the Truman Center for National Policy and Joseph
R. Biden Jr’s son.
Kamala D. Harris is
an advisory board member for the Truman National Security Project an
advisory board member for the Truman Center for National Policy and
was vice president of the Joseph R. Biden Jr administration.
Leslie H. Gelb was
an advisory board member for the Truman National Security Project, a
board member for the International Crisis Group, a reporter,
columnist & op-ed page editor for the New York Times and is
a member of the Bretton Woods Committee.
George Soros is a member of the Bretton Woods Committee,
a board member for the International Crisis Group and was the
chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Committee
for Economic Development.
Letitia James is the chair for the Committee
on Economic Development and the Attorney General of New York.
Carolyn S. Chin was
a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development and is a member
of the Belizean Grove.
Belizean_Grove is
the equivalent to the male-only social group, the Bohemian Club.
George H.W.
Bush was a member of the Bohemian Club and nominated Judge
Steven Merryday.
Henrietta
Holsman Fore is a member of the Belizean Grove and a
trustee at the Committee for Economic Development.
Julie Daum is
a member of the Belizean Grove and was a trustee at the Committee
for Economic Development.
Davia B. Temin is
a member of the Belizean Grove and was a trustee at the Committee
for Economic Development.
Mary Agnes
Wilderotter is a member of the Belizean Grove, and a
trustee at the Committee for Economic Development.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Committee
for Economic Development.
George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to
Promote Open Society.
Ellen R. Marram is
a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development and a
director at the New York Times Co.
Steven L. Rattner was
an economic correspondent for the New York Times and is a director
at the New America Foundation.
David B. Brooks is a columnist for the New York Times and a director at the New America Foundation.
Jonathan Soros is a director at
the New America Foundation and George Soros’s son.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the New
America Foundation.
George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote
Open Society, is Jonathan Soros’s father, a member of
the Bretton Woods Committee and a board member for the International
Crisis Group.
Leslie H. Gelb is
a member of the Bretton Woods Committee, was a board member for
the International Crisis Group, a reporter, columnist & op-ed
page editor for the New York Times and an advisory board
member for the Truman National Security Project.
Kamala D. Harris is
an advisory board member for the Truman National Security Project, an
advisory board member for the Center for National Policy and
vice president of the Joseph R. Biden Jr administration.
R. Hunter Biden is
a director at the Truman National Security Project, a director at
the Center for National Policy and Joseph R. Biden
Jr’s son.
Madeleine K.
Albright was an advisory board member for the Truman National
Security Project, the president of the Center for National Policy and
a member of the Aspen Strategy Group.
Nicholas Kristof is
a member of the Aspen Strategy Group and a columnist for
the New York Times.
David E. Sanger is
a member of the Aspen Strategy Group and the chief Washington
correspondent for the New York Times.
Carla Anne
Robbins is a member of the Aspen Strategy Group and
was a deputy editorial page editor for the New York Times.
Anne-Marie
Slaughter is a member of the Aspen Strategy Group, an
advisory board member for the Truman Center for National Policy and
an advisory board member for the Truman National Security Project.
Leslie H. Gelb is
an advisory board member for the Truman Center for National Policy,
an advisory board member for the Truman National Security Project,
was a reporter, columnist & op-ed page editor for the New York
Times, a board member for the International Crisis Group and
a member of the Bretton Woods Committee.
George Soros is a board member for the International Crisis
Group, a member of the Bretton Woods Committee and was the
chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the New
America Foundation.
Steven L. Rattner is
a director at the New America Foundation and was an economic
correspondent for the New York Times.
David B. Brooks is
a director at the New America Foundation and a columnist for
the New York Times.
Richard R. Burt was
a correspondent for the New York Times and is a director at
the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).
Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Atlantic
Council of the United States (think tank)
George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open
Society Foundations and was the chairman for the Foundation to
Promote Open Society.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Aspen
Institute (think tank).
Henry A. Kissinger was a director at the Atlantic
Council of the United States (think tank) a member of the Bohemian
Club and a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank).
Henrietta
Holsman Fore is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank)
and a member of the Belizean Grove.
Sonia Sotomayor was
a member of the Belizean Grove and is a justice for the U.S.
Supreme Court.
Belizean_Grove is
the equivalent to the male-only social group, the Bohemian Club.
George H.W.
Bush was a member of the Bohemian Club, nominated Judge
Steven Merryday and a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society.
Samuel
Anthony Alito Jr. is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and
a justice for the U.S. Supreme Court.
Stephen G. Breyer is
a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and a justice for
the U.S. Supreme Court.
Ruth Bader
Ginsburg is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and
a justice for the U.S. Supreme Court.
Elena Kagan is
a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and a justice for
the U.S. Supreme Court.
Anthony M. Kennedy is
a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and a justice for
the U.S. Supreme Court.
David Hackett
Souter is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and
was a justice for the U.S. Supreme Court.
Harry A. Blackmun was
a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and a justice for
the U.S. Supreme Court.
Lewis F. Powell
Jr. was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and a
justice for the U.S. Supreme Court.
John Paul Stevens was
a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and a justice for
the U.S. Supreme Court.
William Howard
Taft was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and
the chief justice for the U.S. Supreme Court.
Byron R. White was
a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and a justice for
the U.S. Supreme Court.
Potter Stewart was
a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, and a justice for the U.S.
Supreme Court.
Sonia Sotomayor is
a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, a justice for the U.S.
Supreme Court and a member of the Belizean Grove.
Belizean_Grove is
the equivalent to the male-only social group, the Bohemian Club.
George H.W. Bush was a member of the Bohemian Club, a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and nominated Judge Steven Merryday.
Jimmy Carter was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, the
president of the Jimmy Carter administration, an honorary
co-chairman for the Millennium Promise and in 1979
created the U.S. Department of Education.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Millennium
Promise and the Aspen Institute (think tank).
George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote
Open Society.
Shirley M.
Hufstedler was a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute
(think tank) and the secretary for the U.S. Department of
Education.
Henrietta
Holsman Fore is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank)
and a member of the Belizean Grove.
Sonia Sotomayor was
a member of the Belizean Grove and is a justice for the U.S.
Supreme Court.
Belizean_Grove is
the equivalent to the male-only social group, the Bohemian Club.
George H.W.
Bush was a member of the Bohemian Club, nominated Judge
Steven Merryday and a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society.
Belizean_Grove is
the equivalent to the male-only social group, the Bohemian Club.
Henrietta
Holsman Fore is a member of the Belizean Grove and a
trustee at the Committee for Economic Development.
Julie Daum is
a member of the Belizean Grove and was a trustee at the Committee
for Economic Development.
Davia B. Temin is
a member of the Belizean Grove and was a trustee at the Committee
for Economic Development.
Mary Agnes
Wilderotter is a member of the Belizean Grove, and a
trustee at the Committee for Economic Development.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Committee
for Economic Development.
George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to
Promote Open Society.
Carolyn S. Chin was
a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development and is a member
of the Belizean Grove.
Letitia James is the chair for the Committee
on Economic Development and the Attorney General of New York.
Ellen R. Marram is
a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development and a
director at the New York Times Co.
Charlayne
Hunter-Gault was a reporter for the New York Times and is
a special correspondent for the NPR.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the NPR.
George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to
Promote Open Society and is the founder & chairman for the Open
Society Foundations.
Open Society Foundations was a funder for the American
Constitution Society.
Linda Greenhouse is
a director at the American Constitution Society and was a
reporter or the New York Times.
Barbra Streisand Foundation was a funder for the American Constitution Society.
Walter E. Dellinger III is a board of adviser’s member for the American
Constitution Society and was the acting solicitor general for the U.S.
Department of Justice.
Christine A.
Varney is a director at the American Constitution Society
and was an assistant attorney general for the U.S. Department of
Justice.
Robert Raben was
a director at the American Constitution Society and an
assistant attorney general for the U.S. Department of Justice.
Philippa
Scarlett was a director at the American Constitution Society
and a deputy associate attorney general for the U.S. Department of
Justice.
Janet Reno was a board of adviser’s member for the American Constitution Society and an attorney general for the U.S. Department of Justice.
Debo P. Adegbile is a director at the American
Constitution Society, was an assistant attorney general nominee for
the U.S. Department of Justice and the acting president &
director-counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund.
Eric H. Holder Jr. was
a board member for the American Constitution Society, an
attorney general for the U.S. Department of Justice and an intern
at the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the NAACP
Legal Defense & Educational Fund.
George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to
Promote Open Society.
Vernon E. Jordan
Jr. is a senior director at the NAACP Legal Defense &
Educational Fund and a trustee at Howard University.
Martin D. Payson is
a co-chair emeritus for the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund and
a trustee at Howard University.
Wayman F. Smith
III is a director emeritus at the NAACP Legal Defense &
Educational Fund and was the chairman for Howard University.
Kamala D. Harris graduated
from Howard University and was the vice president of the Joseph
R. Biden Jr Administration.
Earl G. Graves is
a trustee at Howard University and a trustee at the Committee
for Economic Development.
Letitia James obtained her Juris Doctor degree
at Howard University, is the Attorney General of New York and
the chair for the Committee on Economic Development.
Ellen R. Marram is
a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development and a
director at the New York Times Co.
Henrietta
Holsman Fore is a member of the Belizean Grove and a
trustee at the Committee for Economic Development.
Julie Daum was
a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development and is a member
of the Belizean Grove.
Davia B. Temin is
a member of the Belizean Grove and was a trustee at the Committee
for Economic Development.
Mary Agnes
Wilderotter is a member of the Belizean Grove, and a
trustee at the Committee for Economic Development.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Committee
for Economic Development.
George Soros was
the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.
Carolyn S. Chin was
a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development and is a member
of the Belizean Grove.
Sonia Sotomayor was
a member of the Belizean Grove and is a justice for the U.S.
Supreme Court.
Belizean_Grove is
the equivalent to the male-only social group, the Bohemian Club.
George H.W.
Bush was a member of the Bohemian Club, nominated Judge
Steven Merryday and a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society.
Henrietta
Holsman Fore is a member of the Belizean Grove and a
trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank).
Belizean_Grove is
the equivalent to the male-only social group, the Bohemian Club.
Henry A. Kissinger was a member of the Bohemian
Club, a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank)
and a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think
tank).
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Aspen
Institute (think tank).
George Soros was
the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society and is the
founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations.
Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Atlantic
Council of the United States (think tank) and the American
Constitution Society.
Richard R. Burt
is a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank)
and was a correspondent for the New York Times.
Linda Greenhouse
was a reporter or the New York Times and is a director at the American
Constitution Society.
Resources:
Past Research
Smaller
Bites – Connecting the Dots: Henry Kissinger & Soros Funding
Henry
Kissinger Has Died at the Age of 100 (Past Research
on Henry Kissinger)
Wednesday,
November 29, 2023
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2023/11/smaller-bites-connecting-dots-henry.html
How
The New York Times Distorts Shen Yun’s Success in Latest Attack Article
(Connecting the Dots: The New York Times, Barack Obama, Kamala Harris, Hunter
Biden The Aspen Strategy Group & Soros Funding, All Networking) (Past Research on the New York Times)
Saturday,
January 4, 2025
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/search?q=New+York+Times
George
H.W. Bush Wants Jeb to Run for President (Past
Research on George H.W. Bush)
Sunday,
April 27, 2014
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2014/04/george-hw-bush-wants-jeb-to-run-for.html
Equifax
data breach: What you need to know (Past Research
on the Belizean Grove & the Committee for Economic Development)
Monday,
September 11, 2017
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2017/09/equifax-data-breach-what-you-need-to.html
No
proof for Arlen Spector's 'magic-bullet' theory (Past
Research on the Belizean Grove & the Aspen Institute (think tank))
Wednesday,
November 13, 2013
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2013/11/no-proof-for-arlen-spectors-magic.html
Madeleine
Albright, 1st Female US Secretary of State, Dies at 84 (Connecting Her Dots In
The Soros Network) (Past Research on Madeleine
Albright)
Thursday,
March 24, 2022
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2022/03/madeleine-albright-1st-female-us.html
Politifact:
Sotomayor's Child COVID Numbers Inaccurate (Soros Network Runs Deep) (Past Research on Sonia Sotomayor and the Belizean Grove)
Tuesday,
January 11, 2022
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2022/01/politifact-sotomayors-child-covid.html
New
York AG James Says Mortgage Fraud Allegations Are Baseless (Connecting the
Dots: Letitia James, Howard University, The Committee on Economic Development
Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac & Soros Funding, All Networking) (Past Research on Letitia James and the Committee for
Economic Development)
Friday,
April 18, 2025
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2025/04/new-york-ag-james-says-mortgage-fraud.html
Chief
Justice Defends Judicial Independence, Saying It's Under Threat (Connecting the
Dots: Chief Justice John Roberts, The U.S. Supreme Court, The Smithsonian
Institution, Nancy Pelosi, Jimmy Carter, The U.S. Department of Education, The
Alfalfa Club, Phi Beta Kappa Society, The Belizean Grove, The Bohemian Club
& Soros Funding, All Networking) (Past Research
on Phi Beta Kappa Society & George H.W. Bush)
Thursday,
January 2, 2025
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2025/01/chief-justice-defends-judicial.html
SCHOOL
BOARD CALLED OUT - ABSOLUTE PROOF - THEY ARE DOING IT FOR THE MONEY (Past
Research on the U.S. Department of Education and the Chicago (IL) Board of
Education) (Past Research on the U.S. Department of
Education)
Sunday,
September 26, 2021
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2021/09/school-board-called-out-absolute-proof_26.html
Left-Wing
American ‘Constitution’ Society Urges Deep State to Undermine Trump (Past Research on the American Constitution Society)
Sunday,
June 11, 2017
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2017/06/left-wing-american-constitution-society.html
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