A New York federal circuit judge has rejected former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's (R.) defamation lawsuit against the New York Times.
Palin brought the suit in June after the Times published an editorial that seemed to insinuate her political action committee's advertisement caused the 2011 shooting of then-Congresswoman Gabby Giffords (D., Ariz.).
Judge Jed Rakoff said Tuesday that while the offending editorial contained a few factual inaccuracies, they did not rise to the level of defamation of a public figure, the Associated Press reported. He also noted the Times subsequently issued a correction.
The editorial, entitled "America's Lethal Politics," was written in the wake of the shooting of Rep. Steve Scalise (R., La.) and others at a Republican congressional baseball team practice. It repeated a debunked claim that Giffords' shooting was caused by a PAC ad showing crosshairs over her congressional district, and accused Palin of "political incitement."
The Times subsequently corrected the editorial, writing it "incorrectly stated that a link existed between political rhetoric and the 2011 shooting of Representative Gabby Giffords. In fact, no such link was established."
Palin's lawsuit claimed the Times perpetuated a "fabricated story," one which actively constituted defamation.
It is not yet clear if Palin will appeal the federal judge's ruling.