You might want to look into the slander and libelous laws as it applies to public figures, specifically the malice requirement. And then read the NE article chock full of weasel words rescuing them from a lawsuit.
Agreed. The other individuals though are arguably not public figures. That’s where a lawsuit would come from. (And I did read the actual NE article.) I still think its actionable if false. Plenty of hungry lawyers out there.