Federal judge hands Fox News a surprising ruling

Fox News host Jessica Tarlov

Fox News faces an existential threat in the courts. Another loss could put the network under.

And now a federal judge has handed Fox News a surprising ruling.

Defamation Lawsuit Against Fox News Host Jessica Tarlov Dismissed by Federal Judge

A federal judge in Manhattan dismissed a defamation lawsuit on Tuesday filed by Tony Bobulinski, a former business partner of Hunter Biden, against Fox News host Jessica Tarlov. The lawsuit, which sought $30 million in damages, was thrown out by U.S. District Judge Paul Oetken, who also granted Tarlov’s request for attorney fees.

In response to the ruling, Fox News issued a statement expressing satisfaction with the court’s decision. “FOX News is pleased with the court’s landmark decision, which not only dismissed Tony Bobulinski and Stefan Passantino’s meritless allegations against Jessica Tarlov, but also marks the first federal court decision to award attorney’s fees under New York’s anti-SLAPP statute,” the network said.

The lawsuit stemmed from comments Tarlov made in March during an appearance on The Five, where she suggested that a super PAC connected to former President Donald Trump had covered Bobulinski’s legal fees. Bobulinski, along with his attorney Stefan Passantino, filed the defamation claim after Tarlov partially retracted her statement on air but did not fully retract it.

“I would like to clarify a comment I made yesterday during our discussion of Tony Bobulinski’s appearance at the congressional hearing,” Tarlov said on March 21. “During an exchange with my colleagues about the hearing, I said that Mr. Bobulinski’s lawyers’ fees have been paid by a Trump super PAC as recently as January. What was actually said during the hearing was that the law firm representing Mr. Bobulinski was paid by a Trump PAC. I have seen no indication that those payments were made in connection with Mr. Bobulinski’s legal fees, and he denies that they were,” she clarified.

Earlier in March, Bobulinski testified publicly before House Republicans during their impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. In his testimony, he accused Hunter Biden and his brother James of perjuring themselves regarding their business dealings with China. He also suggested that Joe Biden should be impeached for his alleged involvement in his son’s foreign business activities during his time as vice president.

This testimony followed Bobulinski’s earlier behind-the-scenes testimony about a May 2017 meeting with Joe, Hunter, and James Biden regarding a potential business deal with CEFC, a Chinese conglomerate. Following his public allegations, Republicans referred Hunter and James Biden to the Justice Department for potential criminal charges for perjury.

The impeachment investigation also uncovered that between 2014 and 2019, Hunter Biden and his business partners received $27 million in foreign payments, including from China, during and after Joe Biden’s vice presidency. The probe also revealed that Joe Biden had interacted with his son’s foreign business partners during this period.

In February, Hunter Biden defended his father’s actions, explaining that he was merely answering calls from his father’s business associates. He also dismissed Bobulinski as a disgruntled former business partner, claiming his bitterness was linked to the collapse of the CEFC deal, which led to Hunter and James pursuing a different venture with the Chinese company.

Meanwhile, Hunter Biden is facing legal challenges of his own. Special Counsel David Weiss is prosecuting him on federal gun charges in Delaware and California. Earlier this year, a Delaware jury found Biden guilty of lying on gun purchase forms while addicted to crack cocaine. He is also set to be sentenced next month for tax charges related to failing to pay over $1.4 million in taxes over the past decade.

The Federalist Wire will bring you any critical updates concerning this Fox News case.

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