Donald Trump updates $15B defamation suit against New York Times

Donald Trump has amended his $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times and publisher Penguin Random House. The updated filing expands on claims that journalists disparaged his business reputation in articles and a book to undermine his 2024 presidential campaign.

The amended complaint seeks to establish actual malice by focusing on the source of leaked tax returns, former IRS contractor Charles Littlejohn. Trump’s legal team argues that Times reporters Susanne Craig and Russ Buettner failed to independently verify the legitimacy and accuracy of the documents provided by Littlejohn.

This legal action follows an initial complaint that was dismissed by U.S. District Court Judge Steven D. Merryday, who ruled the original filing was unnecessarily lengthy and digressive. The New York Times has moved to dismiss the lawsuit.