Former Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant’s lawsuit against Mississippi Today, claiming defamation over their Pulitzer Prize-winning reporting on the misspending of $77 million in federal welfare funds, has been dismissed by a judge. The judge ruled in favor of Mississippi Today, stating that their reporting was constitutionally protected speech.
The lawsuit was filed in 2023, shortly after Mississippi Today and reporter Anna Wolfe won a Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of the welfare scandal. Bryant’s lawyers argued that the news outlet made slanderous comments about him in public settings when discussing the series.
However, Mississippi Today’s attorneys maintained that the statements in question were either true or substantially true, and that Bryant failed to prove they were made with actual malice. As a public figure, Bryant did not meet the legal standard for defamation as set by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1964.
Bryant has announced his intention to appeal the judge’s dismissal to the Mississippi Supreme Court. Meanwhile, prosecutors have brought criminal charges against individuals involved in the misspending, including a former executive director chosen by Bryant. Favre, who was implicated in receiving improper speaking fees from welfare money, has repaid a portion of the funds but still owes interest.
The Committee to Protect Journalists praised the judge’s decision, calling out the lawsuit as an intimidation tactic against critical coverage. Despite the dismissal of Bryant’s lawsuit, the legal battle surrounding the misspending of welfare funds in Mississippi continues.
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