Maddow and MSNBC In Trouble After Conversvative News Network Hauls Them Into Court
The owner of conservative cable news channel One America News Network (OANN) has filed a defamation lawsuit against Rachel Maddow and MSNBC claiming that the commentator “maliciously and recklessly” smeared the network saying they were Russian state propaganda outlet.
Attorneys for OANN’s owner Herring Networks INC filed the $10 million defamation lawsuit against Maddow, Comcast, NBC Universal and MSNBC in a California federal court. Law and Crime News Journal report:
The complaint alleges that Comcast refused to carry the right-wing network because OANN “counters the liberal politics of its own channel, MSNBC.” One week after that, OANN’s founder Charles Herring sent an open email to Comcast deriding their alleged “anti-competitive censorship.”
Maddow apparently responded in turn, defending her own network’s owners by blasting OANN and telling her own audience the right-wing network “really literally is paid Russian propaganda.” As you can see, the plaintiff claimed that counsel for NBC Universal said in a letter that by “literally” Maddow meant “not being literally true.” This was apparently part of the response to an OANN retraction demand.
A copy of NBC Universal counsel Amy Wolf’s letter shows that Maddow’s comments were made in the context of discussing a Daily Beast report on OANN reporter Kristian Rouz. That report was headlined, “Trump’s New Favorite Channel Employs Kremlin-Paid Journalist.”
OANN’s lawsuit states that Maddow, as well as other named defendants, knew the liberal host’s statement was false and that Maddow was malicious and reckless when she made that statement. Additionally, the lawsuit states Maddow crazed attack on OANN was intended to damage the news network.
Attorney Skip Miller who represents OANN said, “One America is wholly owned, operated and financed by the Herring family in San Diego,” Miller said. “They are as American as apple pie. They are not paid by Russia and have nothing to do with the Russian government. This is a false and malicious libel, and they’re going to answer for it in a court of law.”
Looks like MSNBC and Maddow may have bitten off more than they can chew.
