Former Trump campaign staffer and CNN political commentator Jason Miller lost his defamation lawsuit against Gizmodo Media Group, according to court documents reviewed by TheWrap.
Miller filed a lawsuit against Gizmodo Media Group in October 2018, seeking to recover $100 million in damages after one of the company’s web properties published a story saying he had secretly slipped abortion pills into the smoothie of a former lover.
U.S. District Court Judge Cecilia Altonaga rejected the argument that the story violated fair report privilege because it was based on a sealed court filing.
“New York’s fair report privilege generally applies to sealed documents,” she wrote. “Accordingly, the Article falls within section 74’s absolute privilege and Defendants have shown they are entitled to a summary judgment on their New York fair report privilege affirmative defense.”
A spokesperson for the defendants told TheWrap, “We are gratified by the Judge’s ruling which recognizes that our reporters were simply doing their jobs and that they are protected by the law.”
Hours after Splinter published their story, “Court Docs Allege Ex-Trump Staffer Drugged Woman He Got Pregnant With ‘Abortion Pill,’” in September of 2018, Miller decided to “step away” indefinitely from his role as a pro-Trump CNN contributor. The suit he filed said the website conspired with his former lover A.J. Delgado, who is currently locked in a bitter custody battle with him. Delgado, a former spokesperson for the Trump campaign, and Miller had an affair that resulted in the birth of a child.
Attorneys for Miller did not immediately respond to request for comment.