Impeachment witness Vindman says he "should have sued Trump proxies" and right-wing media
Retired Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who testified in the first impeachment hearing of former President Trump, said Monday he "should have sued those who amplified his campaign of defamation."
Driving the news: In an op-ed for Lawfare, titled "Can Litigation Help Deradicalize Right-Wing Media?," Vindman wrote: "After I testified about then-President Trump's misconduct on Ukraine ... Trump and his allies targeted me and my family for retribution."
He said "Trump proxies amplified these themes on television news, internet news, and social media, resulting in risks to my life and my reputation as a public servant," noting he "did not respond forcefully to the threats and defamation."
Of note: Some First Amendment advocates worry that defamation lawsuits can be used as a vehicle to silence the press. And Vindman notes in his op-ed that the First Amendment "gravely limits the available tools to seek accountability for the right-wing media."
https://www.yahoo.com/news/impeachment-witness-vindman-says-sued-040500303.html
