The Supreme Court rejects an appeal from former coal company CEO Don Blankenship
The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from former coal company executive Don Blankenship, who argued that major news outlets defamed him by calling him a “felon.”
By AP News
Published - Oct 10, 2023, 09:50 AM ET
Last Updated - Oct 10, 2023, 09:50 AM EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court rejected an appeal Tuesday from former coal executive Don Blankenship, who argued that major news outlets defamed him by calling him a “felon.”
Justice Clarence Thomas, while agreeing with the court's action Tuesday, repeated his call for the court to overturn its landmark 1964 libel ruling in New York Times v. Sullivan.
The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court’s determination that CNN, Fox News and 14 other outlets sued by Blankenship did not act with “actual malice” amid coverage of his unsuccessful 2018 U.S. Senate campaign, even if they failed to meet journalistic standards.
