Judge Tosses Wolff Suit, Clearing Path For $1B Melania Claim
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit by journalist Michael Wolff against First Lady Melania Trump, calling it a “contorted” attempt and “not how federal courts work.”
Advertisement “It’s an inappropriate level of tactical gamesmanship,” said Manhattan Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil, an appointee of President Donald Trump. Vyskocil said she would not be “drafted to oversee an abusively presented spat,” yet she recognized that both sides have a “real dispute.”
Advertisement That spurred him to sue her in state court in October. Trump’s lawyer, Alejandro Brito, had the complaint moved to federal court, where Vyskocil declared that while federal court does have jurisdiction, she was declining to exercise it and “dismisses this case to be litigated like any other.”
Melania Trump’s Response
A Melania Trump spokesperson said that the first lady “is proud to continue standing up to, and fighting against, those who spread malicious and defamatory falsehoods as they desperately try to get undeserved attention and money from their unlawful conduct.”
The 56-year-old’s lawyer previously claimed that Wolff’s statements caused her “overwhelming reputational and financial harm.” The first lady has denied any association with Epstein, who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of child sex trafficking. “The individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility, and respect. I do not object to their ignorance, but rather I reject their mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation,” she added at the time.
Wolff claimed in his lawsuit that the president and first lady “have made a practice of threatening those who speak against them” with costly legal actions “to silence their speech, to intimidate their critics generally, and to extract unjustified payments and North Korean-style confessions and apologies.”
Details of the Lawsuit
It also said in his lawsuit that Wolff never accused the first lady of being involved with criminal activity associated with Epstein. The Daily Beast retracted an article last summer, titled “Melania Trump ‘Very Involved’ in Epstein Scandal: Author,” which was based on an interview with Wolff, after the outlet received a letter from Brito.
Republican Rep. Nancy Mace praised Melania Trump at the time for coming out against Epstein. “Melania Trump stands with Epstein victims,” Mace said, citing the first lady’s advocacy for legislation addressing the distribution of fake intimate images. “The truth will prevail.”
Rep. Robert Garcia called for a public hearing, writing, “We agree with First Lady Melania Trump’s call for a public hearing,” Garcia said. “We encourage Chairman Comer to schedule a hearing immediately.” Garcia said the remarks renewed attention on the broader investigation. “Now is the time for Congress to act,” she said. She urged lawmakers to allow victims to testify under oath.