Warning: Snowflake Alert
Tony Bobulinksi, who testified in the impeachment inquiry hearings against President Biden, is suing Fox News contributor Jessica Tarlov for defamation.
At issue is an episode of The Five on Fox News in which Tarlov claimed that Bobulinski’s legal fees were being paid by a Donald Trump Super PAC.
Bobulinkski and his lawyer immediately demanded a retraction.
The following day, Jessica Tarlov made the following statement:
I would like to clarify a comment I made yesterday during our discussion of Tony Bobulinski’s appearance at the congressional hearing. During an exchange with my colleagues about the hearing I said that Mr. Bobulinski’s lawyers’ fees have been paid by a Trump super PAC as recent as January.
What was actually said during the hearing was that the law firm representing Mr. Bobulinski was paid by a Trump PAC. I have seen no indication those payments were made in connection with Mr. Bobulinski’s legal fees and he denies that they were.
Apparently, this was insufficient for the Bobulinski team, and a second demand was made.
To be clear, we demand a complete retraction and apology by Ms. Tarlov AT THE TOP OF TODAY’S SHOW while showing this photograph in which Ms. Tarlov clearly states that she explicitly “apologizes to Tony Bobulinski and Stefan Passantino for making a false claim on the air which harmed their reputations.” Ms. Tarlov must further state, “To be clear, it appears that Mr. Bobulinski has always paid all of his legal bills and there is no evidence that Mr. Passantino or his law firm accepted money from anyone other than Mr. Bobulinski for his representation.” These statements must be made without the petulant innuendo or further attempted mental gymnastics as we saw from her yesterday. Absent such statements, both he and Mr. Passantino will continue to be harmed.
The following day passed without further comment on the air, but Fox issued a statement to Team Bobulinski that made it clear the network viewed Tarlov’s correction as “accurate” and “will not be issuing any further correction.”
Today, Team Bobulinski filed a $30 million defamation lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, naming Tarlov, but not Fox.
Passantino, who has been representing Bobulinski regarding his testimony before the House Oversight Committee, is a former ethics attorney in Donald Trump’s Office of White House Counsel and was hired by the Trump Organization in January 2023.
Passantino represented Cassidy Hutchinson initially regarding her testimony to the January 6 Committee, but Hutchinson terminated his representation (being paid for by Trump’s Save America PAC), and secured her own independent counsel.
- Included in the defamation lawsuit were descriptions of Passantino’s background as “one of the leading political lawyers in the country” with “an unblemished and highly distinguished career as a lawyer with extensive experience.”
- Also in the lawsuit were several paragraphs touting Bobulinski’s résumé as “a decorated Navy veteran and successful businessman” who “considered himself a political moderate” who had previously donated to Democrats but still “decided to put principles above political party” and testify against the Bidens.