OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
A federal judge in New York has turned down a request from former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to grant a new trial in her defamation lawsuit against The New York Times.
According to The Hill, U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff, a Bill Clinton appointee, noted in a ruling Wednesday that Palin, the running mate to the late Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the 2008 GOP presidential nominee who filed suit against the newspaper and lost her case earlier this year, did not introduce “even a speck” of evidence that would support a new trial.
In addition, lawyers for Palin asked Rakoff to recuse himself from the case after arguing that he held a bias against her citing questions he asked the jury during the previous trial and instructions he gave them before they deliberated a verdict.
“In actuality, none of these was erroneous, let alone a basis for granting Palin a new trial,” Rakoff wrote, The Associated Press reported.
The Hill noted:
A jury found the Times not liable for defamation against Palin in February. The suit stemmed from a Times editorial erroneously linking her political action committee to the 2011 shooting of then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) at a constituent event.
While the jury in Palin’s case was still deliberating a verdict, Rakoff made the rare decision to announce he believed Palin’s lawyers had provided no “legally sufficient evidentiary basis” and said he would move to have it dismissed.
Several jurors indicated to Rakoff after they handed down their verdict that they were made aware of his announcement via push alerts on their smartphones but said it did not effect their decision.
Palin’s lawyers indicated the following week that they planned to make a motion requesting to interview jurors and conduct a new trial in the case.
On Wednesday, Rakoff wrote that Palin’s lawyers failed to prove that the Times, which has not lost a libel or defamation case in 50 years, failed to prove the newspaper acted with malice, which is a high bar in U.S. media law.
“And the striking thing about the trial here was that Palin, for all her earlier assertions, could not in the end introduce even a speck of such evidence,” Rakoff wrote.
In early April, Palin announced she was running for Alaska’s lone U.S. House seat after it became vacant following the death of Rep. Don Young, a Republican who had held the seat since the early 1970s. Former President Donald Trump quickly endorsed her.
“Today I’m announcing my candidacy for the U.S. House seat representing Alaska. Public service is a calling, and I would be honored to represent the men and women of Alaska in Congress, just as Rep. Young did for 49 years,” Palin wrote on Facebook announcing her bid. “I realize that I have very big shoes to fill, and I plan to honor Rep. Young’s legacy by offering myself up in the name of service to the state he loved and fought for, because I share that passion for Alaska and the United States of America.”
She added:
America is at a tipping point. As I’ve watched the far left destroy the country, I knew I had to step up and join the fight. The people of the great State of Alaska, like others all over the country, are struggling with out-of-control inflation, empty shelves, and gas prices that are among the highest in the world. We need energy security for this country, and Alaska can help provide that – but only if the federal government gets out of the way and lets the free market do what it does best.
At this critical time in our nation’s history, we need leaders who will combat the left’s socialist, big-government, America-last agenda. This country was built by heroes, and the radical left dishonors their legacies by opening our borders to illegal immigrants, mortgaging our children’s future, and selling out our nation’s interests to the highest bidder.
Trump noted in a statement issued through his Save America PAC: “Wonderful patriot Sarah Palin of Alaska just announced that she is running for Congress, and that means there will be a true America First fighter on the ballot to replace the late and legendary Congressman Don Young.
“Sarah shocked many when she endorsed me very early in 2016, and we won big,” Trump continued. “Now, it’s my turn!
