(WatchDogReport.org) – A Delaware judge has thrown out a lawsuit filed against Fox News by Nina Jankowicz, who was the executive director of the Department of Homeland Security’s now defunct Disinformation Governance Board. Federal Judge Colm F Connolly ruled that statements made by the network that she claimed were defamatory against her were either “materially true” or referring to the board she was tasked with overseeing.
The network celebrated the ruling, describing Jankowicz’s suit as a “politically motivated” attempt to violate free speech rights protected by the First Amendment. DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced the creation of the board in 2022 to combat so-called disinformation regarding controversial topics such as the national health crisis. Former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki commented on the backlash to the board’s creation, saying she supported the move but was unaware of Jankowicz’s background.
The panel’s leader made the claim pushed by President Joe Biden and former intelligence officials that Hunter Biden’s laptop was a case of disinformation planted by Russian agents. FBI agent Erika Jensen, when testifying in Hunter Biden’s Delaware gun trial in June, confirmed the laptop’s authenticity. The laptop, which was shown to jurors, contained evidence relating to Hunter’s drug use and illegal gun purchase. The president’s son was found guilty on three charges.
Conservatives have heavily criticized the degree of censorship under the Biden administration. Independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr also blasted Biden’s censorship policies, branding the incumbent president a bigger threat to democracy than former President Donald Trump. Kennedy is renowned for his skeptical stances on COVID-19 vaccines and measures taken by both Republicans and Democrats during the pandemic. He drew attention to the Biden administration’s cooperation with Big Tech giants in combating so-called disinformation on social media platforms.
Nina Jankowicz claimed to have been defamed on numerous occasions in statements by the network that, she argued, resulted in threats of violence against her online. In his ruling on Jankowicz’s suit, Connolly said that 36 of the 37 statements made by the news network related to the role of the disinformation board, not Jankowicz personally. The judge concluded that the remaining statement, which included a picture of the executive director but again did not refer to her personally, was factually correct due to it citing the board’s own charter explaining its role.
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