What Is Sarah Palin Doing Now?
Former Alaska Governor and Vice Presidential Nominee Sarah Palin is suing the New York Times over an editorial that ties one of her political action committee (PAC) ads to the January 2011 mass shooting that injured then-Arizona congresswoman Gabby Giffords.
Palin's lawyers Kenneth Turkel, Shane Vogt, and S. Preston Ricardo indicated in the lawsuit filed in the Manhattan federal court that the publication defamed her in a June 14 editorial, titled "America's Lethal Politics." The editorial was published shortly after the Republican Congressman Steve Scalise was shot in Alexandria, VA while practicing with the GOP's baseball team.
The lawsuit points out that the Times "violated the law and its own policies" when they accused Alaska's former governor of inciting Tucson shooter Jared Loughner to kill six and injure 13, including the congresswoman.
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"The Times used its false assertion about Mrs. Palin as an artifice to exploit the [Scalise] shooting," Turkel and company indicated in the suit.
The following day the editorial was posted, the Times took to Twitter to announce that they got a particular fact wrong, their linking of political incitement with the mass shooting. Aside from retracting the statement, they clarified the issue, stating that "no such link was established."
Speaking to Fox News, New York Times spokeswoman Danielle Rhoades Ha told the publication that they have yet to see the lawsuit filed.
"We have not reviewed the claim yet but will defend against any claim vigorously," the spokeswoman stated.
Palin is seeking compensation for the damages. The amount is to be determined by a jury. But some reports suggest that Palin preferably wants over $75,000.
Palin's lawyers are the same team who represented Hulk Hogan and won him a $115 million settlement from the Gawker Media Group trial. However, after the opposition appealed, both parties agreed on $31 million.
