FORMER SEAL’S THREATENED LIBEL SUIT: MORE SIZZLE THAN STEAK

Eddie Gallagher, the former Navy SEAL recently pardoned by President Trump, is threatening to sue The New York Times for libel based on its accurate reporting on allegations made against Gallagher by his fellow SEALs.  Among those allegations are that Gallagher “was perfectly O.K. with killing anybody that was moving.”

Here’s a piece in Techdirt that explains why that threatened suit is frivolous.  The Times accurately reported on serious allegations of misconduct leveled against Gallagher.  No matter how that makes Gallagher look, it’s accurate and newsworthy.  And it’s not libel.  There are an increasing number of lawsuits popping up that are based on the same underlying theme – the press shouldn’t report on controversial matters if the subject comes off looking bad.  This isn’t about truth or falsity, it’s about one side trying so hard to control the narrative that they turn to the courts.

Here’s hoping those efforts fail miserably.