Pulitzer Prize Board says it won't be 'cowed' by Trump in ongoing defamation legal fight over Russiagate prize
The Pulitzer Prize Board continued its legal fight against President Donald Trump on Thursday, filing a discovery request and insisting it will "not be cowed by the president's attempt to intimidate journalists or undermine the First Amendment."
Trump filed a 2022 defamation lawsuit against the Pulitzer Prize Board over the 2018 National Reporting prizes given to The New Times and Washington Post for coverage of what he calls the "now-debunked theory" of alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. In Florida's Okeechobee County Circuit Court, the Pulitzer Prize Board requested materials related to the matter and proof of Trump’s claims that he suffered damages or reputational harm.
"Just like any other plaintiff, the President must articulate and prove his claims with evidence. This filing is a standard step in the discovery process to assess a claim of damages and test their validity. The Pulitzer Board will not be cowed by the president's attempt to intimidate journalists or undermine the First Amendment," the Pulitzer Prize Board told Fox News Digital.
TRUMP SCORES BIG LEGAL WIN AGAINST PULITZER PRIZE BOARD MEMBERS AS LAWSUIT MOVES TO DISCOVERY
Trump’s lawsuit states that a "demonstrably false connection was and remains the stated basis" for the coverage that received the prestigious award.
The staffs of the Times and Post shared the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting for "deeply sourced, relentlessly reported coverage in the public interest that dramatically furthered the nation’s understanding of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and its connections to the Trump campaign, the President-elect’s transition team and his eventual administration," according to the Pulitzer website.
The complaint made a series of points indicating why it feels the Pulitzer Prize-winning stories are unworthy of the honor, including Special Counsel Robert Mueller failing to find evidence of collusion, and a DOJ Inspector General Report outlining malfeasance by federal investigators.
A spokesperson for Trump’s legal team believes the president will prevail.
"President Trump is committed to holding those who traffic in fake news, lies, and smears to account, and he will see this powerhouse lawsuit through to a winning conclusion. This case has always been about correcting the record, revealing the truth, and vindicating the president and his supporters against the lies told to the American people by the Democrats and their PR machine known as 'legacy media,'" the spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
Trump’s team previously called for "a full and fair correction, apology, or retraction" to be issued, in addition to the 2018 prizes being rescinded, but the Pulitzer Prize Board declared the awards would stand.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.