NY Supreme Court Delivers a Beat Down to the New York Times in Project Veritas Case – Opinion

RedState previously reported that Project Veritas has been involved in a ongoing lawsuit for defamation against The New York Times. But while a media company suing another one wasn’t initially major news, that changed after the FBI raided the homes of several Project Veritas members, including its founder, James O’Keefe.

The stated reason for the warrants was to collect evidence regarding Ashley Biden’s diary, which Project Veritas legally obtained. That has become its own massive scandal, with the FBI being used like Joe Biden’s political protection wing.

Regardless, shortly after the raids happened, privileged memos between Project Veritas and its lawyers were leaked by the DOJ or FBI to the Times in an obvious attempt to sabotage the lawsuit and further harm O’Keefe’s operation.

The judge in the case demanded answers, and he apparently wasn’t happy with the ones he received. A decision came down today that represents an absolute beat down of the Times’ arguments and includes an order for them to destroy all the memos in their possession — most of which haven’t been published yet.

Here’s Jared Ede, the Chief Legal Officer for Project Veritas, breaking down the ruling.

Comment did NYT get the memos Poss. Poss. … [PV]It has fulfilled its obligation of showing [the memos]They were obtained through irregular methods, or both illegal and improper means.

— Jered Ede (Project Veritas Chief Legal Officer) (@Jtaylorede) December 24, 2021

The Times/corp. media argued prior restraint. Wrong. “The Times is perfectly free to investigate, … publish, opine, expose or ignore whatever aspects of Project Veritas its editors in their sole discretion deem newsworthy, without utilizing [PV’s a/c]”Privilege memoranda”

— Jered Ede (Project Veritas Chief Legal Officer) (@Jtaylorede) December 24, 2021

Of the Times’ journalism, the court noted: … “”Hit and run’ journalism is no more protected under the First Amendment, than speeding on a crowded sidewalk is permitted under a valid driver’s license.'” #ouch.

— Jered Ede (Project Veritas Chief Legal Officer) (@Jtaylorede) December 24, 2021

An indefatigable victory, fought hard @libbylockeOf @ClareLockeLLPHe reminds NYT often that, contrary internal beliefs, they aren’t the most powerful entities in New York.

— Jered Ede (Project Veritas Chief Legal Officer) (@Jtaylorede) December 24, 2021

This is not the New York Supreme Court, which has been one of the most liberal in America. Yet, they simply weren’t buying the idea that it’s proper for the government to illegally leak privileged memos to a news organization about a defamation case that the same news organization is embroiled in.

It’s crazy! Project Veritas files a lawsuit against the Times. The FBI then raids Project Veritas for an “unrelated” matter. Project Veritas is then attacked by the FBI using memos that were protected under attorney-client privilege. Some of these memos are published in an effort to further harm Project Veritas. That’s enough corruption to make many third-world countries blush. The Times thought that they were able to get away with this. That’s how brazen the leftwing media has become.

Still, I’d opine that the biggest scandal here remains the DOJ/FBI leaking the documents in the first place. That is truly the epitome of the “deep state.” There is no justification for the FBI to be raiding the homes of Project Veritas journalists over Ashley Biden’s diary. It was evident that the FBI wanted to defend Biden against the salacious allegations in his diary and not more. Yet, instead of stopping there, they then collected documents that had nothing to do with Ashley Biden’s diary and sent them over to their allies at the Times.

As I’ve said before, the FBI needs to be burned to the ground. Its credibility can’t be saved at this point.