Posts Unfounded Allegations Against Judge in Defamation Case Involving Trump

 

Posts Unfounded Allegations Against Judge in Defamation Case Involving Trump

Quick Take

Misinformation purveyors unfoundedly assert that a judge who oversaw the defamation trial resulting in an $83 million verdict against former President Donald Trump is associated with sex trafficking, pointing out that the judge dismissed a case involving Jeffrey Epstein. However, the case related to Epstein was resolved by the involved parties, and the defamation verdict was delivered by a jury.

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A federal judge in New York presided over a 2021 case involving the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as well as the recent defamation trial that concluded with an $83.3 million verdict against former President Donald Trump.

In an attempt to undermine the verdict of Trump’s trial, partisan misinformation spreaders are unfoundedly referencing the previous case as evidence of the judge's alleged nefarious connection to Epstein. There is no evidence to substantiate this assertion.

Social media posts are circulating with unverified allegations that the judge “was involved in sex trafficking” or “is linked” to Epstein.

Many of these posts include remarks made by Patrick Bet-David, who operates a conservative media outlet that has been previously discussed.

On the January 26 episode of his podcast, he stated that U.S. District Court Judge Lewis Kaplan of the Southern District of New York dismissed the Epstein-related case without proceeding to trial, “yet Trump’s [case] — $83.3 million.” Bet-David further remarked, “I’m sorry man, this is ‘American Gangster,’ connect the dots. … There’s motive, the motive is linked to [former President Bill] Clinton, to Epstein, protecting the enemy. Protecting the bad guy and going after the good guy.”

Clinton appointed Kaplan to the federal bench in 1994. However, some individuals who have propagated Bet-David’s assertion have exaggerated the false implication that Clinton was involved in the 2021 litigation overseen by Kaplan that pertained to Epstein. The civil lawsuit involved Britain’s Prince Andrew.

For instance, one Instagram post that shared a segment from Bet-David’s podcast also contained text stating, “The judge that just made Trump pay $83.3 million – Let Prince Andrew and Bill Clinton go relating to Epstein.”

Clinton was not a party to the lawsuit against Andrew, but he is frequently mentioned in connection with Epstein conspiracy theories, as he is among the influential figures who had associations with Epstein. It is also notable that Trump had connections with Epstein as well.

Bet-David’s claim is misleading.