Republican Congressman Nunes Files Defamation Lawsuit Against CNN

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Rep. Devin Nunes of California, an outspoken ally of President Donald Trump, filed suit against CNN Tuesday, alleging the cable-news network defamed him when it reported on allegations about the President and his representatives seeking information from Ukraine officials that would raise suspicion about the presidential campaign of Joe Biden.

In a rambling lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Virginia, Nunes claims CNN defamed him as it reported on allegations made against him by operatives involved in seeking out information from Ukraine.

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CNN declined to comment.

The network’s reporting was based on on the record comments from an attorney, Joseph Bondy. CNN attempted multiple times to get comment from Rep. Nunes and his communications team.

Nunes’ suit seeks compensatory damages of $435 million and a jury trial.

Suing CNN or threatening to sue CNN is a tactic that has been employed a handful of times in the recent past by Trump and some of his allies. In October, an attorney for President Trump threatened to sue the AT&T-owned cable-news network for violating the Lanham Act and making misrepresentations to the public and advertisers about its content. The network said the ploy was “a massive PR stunt” that did not merit a comment. A lawsuit was not filed.

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