A federal judge has dismissed journalist Michael Wolffâs lawsuit against First Lady Melania Trump, rejecting what the judge called a âcontortedâ legal strategy and clearing the path for Trumpâs separate $1 billion defamation claim against Wolff.
Manhattan federal Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil ruled that while her court had jurisdiction over the case, she was declining to hear it and returning the matter to state court. Vyskocil criticized the litigation approach as âan inappropriate level of tactical gamesmanshipâ and said she would not be âdrafted to oversee an abusively presented spat.â
What Led to the Dismissal
Wolff filed the lawsuit in state court in October, prompting Trumpâs legal team to move the case to federal court. Trumpâs lawyer, Alejandro Brito, had sought the transfer, but Vyskocil determined that the matter should proceed through state court channels instead.
The judge acknowledged that both sides have legitimate grievances. âThis is not how federal courts work,â Vyskocil stated from the bench, according to court filings.
The Underlying Dispute
The conflict stems from statements Wolff made regarding Melania Trump and her alleged connections to Jeffrey Epstein, who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on child sex trafficking charges. Melania Trumpâs legal team has maintained that she has no association with Epstein or any criminal activity connected to him.
The Daily Beast retracted an article last summer titled âMelania Trump âVery Involvedâ in Epstein Scandal: Author,â which was based on Wolffâs statements, after receiving a cease-and-desist letter from Brito.
Trumpâs Claims Against Wolff
Melania Trumpâs legal team has previously claimed that Wolffâs statements caused her âoverwhelming reputational and financial harm,â according to court documents. The First Lady is seeking $1 billion in damages from Wolff over the allegations.
A Melania Trump spokesperson said that the first lady âis proud to continue standing up to, and fighting against, those who spread malicious and defamatory falsehoods as they desperately try to get undeserved attention and money from their unlawful conduct.â
Wolffâs Defense
Wolffâs lawsuit argued that Melania and Donald Trump âhave made a practice of threatening those who speak against themâ with costly legal actions designed to âsilence their speech, to intimidate their critics generally, and to extract unjustified payments,â according to court filings.
Wolffâs legal team maintained that he never accused the First Lady of involvement in any criminal activity associated with Epstein.
