Court Dismisses Defamation Claim Over Lawyer’s Alleged Coaching of Jan. 6 Witness
A D.C. judge ruled that Stefan Passantino failed to allege sufficient negligence in his defamation suit against Andrew Weissmann, leading to dismissal of the case.
Stefan Passantino filed a defamation lawsuit against former prosecutor Andrew Weissmann, alleging that Weissmann’s social-media post accusing him of coaching a Jan. 6 Committee witness to lie was false. The lawsuit hinged on whether Passantino, treated as a private figure, could prove Weissmann acted negligently. The D.C. court held that Passantino’s complaint lacked the factual basis required to show negligence, and thus granted judgment for Weissmann.
The court examined Hutchinson’s deposition transcripts, which reveal she was advised to use "I don’t recall" responses, but Passantino maintains this does not equate to coaching false testimony. The judge also noted that public statements by Rep. Zoe Lofgren and media reports supported Weissmann’s belief that his claim was reasonable. Consequently, the case was dismissed without addressing the merits of the alleged coaching.
Why it matters
The ruling clarifies the high burden for public-figure defamation claims involving political commentary.
In this story
