Posted on 06/01/2025 7:53:36 AM PDT by simpson96
Independent journalist Matt Taibbi filed a $10 million libel lawsuit against a Democratic congresswoman on Thursday for allegedly falsely accusing him of sexual harassment and amplifying her claim on her social media accounts.
Taibbi sued Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D., Calif.) in New Jersey federal court for calling him a “serial sexual harasser” during a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee hearing Tuesday about online censorship.
“These statements are demonstrably false and were made with actual malice—either with knowledge of their falsity or with reckless disregard for their truth,” Taibbi’s lawsuit reads.
“The allegations echo prior false claims that have been the subject of legal action and multiple public corrections, of which Defendant was undoubtedly aware, evidencing her actual malice.”
Kamlager-Dove criticized Republicans at the start of the hearing for “elevating a serial sexual harasser as their star witness.” Her statements at the hearing are protected by the Speech and Debate Clause of the Constitution, but Taibbi’s lawsuit argues that her online amplification of those statements is not, because it falls outside her legislative duties.
Kamlager-Dove posted a transcript of her remarks on her congressional website and amplified videos of her statement on X and Bluesky, a liberal-dominated social media platform.
“After this, Republicans gave Matt Taibbi time to defend himself. It’s telling that he didn’t,” she said on X and Bluesky.
National Review has reached out to Kamlager-Dove’s office for comment.
Taibbi has not been accused of or charged with sexual harassment by any woman. The articles that the congresswoman appears to be referring to describe a satirical passage in a book Taibbi co-authored about writing a Moscow nightlife guide in 1990s Russia.
The women referenced in the passage have both been interviewed and confirmed that Taibbi never sexually harassed them.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
“Congress-critters have immunity for everything they say during sessions of Congress.”
She posted it on Facebook.
Not even with Bill Clinton’s!
She has immunity for statements made on the floor of Congress. If she was stupid enough to repeat those elsewhere, her life will be filled with lawyers.
Posting it on Facebook means she’ll lose in court.
Nobody can be thet hard up
Yeah, I realized that in my post, and others have said the same. I should have read other comments before I posted.
This strategy should put a bunch of critters on notice. Social media postings are not protected by Congressional immunity. They can say anything during Congressional business so that debate isn’t stifled there. But if they say something slanderous or otherwise illegal and then put it on social media that is outside immunity because saying it on social media has nothing to do with debate in Congress. Same thing with going on a “news” (cough) show and spreading slander. That is NOT protected by immunity.
HOORAY Matt!
Before posting, it helps to read the article to which you intend to post.
Okay, Karen
Give it a try.
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