News analysis
Ask any lawyer who specializes in defamation law: It’s nearly impossible for a public figure to win a case. Here’s what the lawyer will tell you: You have a much higher bar than someone who isn’t considered a public figure.
Because you’re a public figure, you not only have to prove the statement was a lie, you have to also prove that the one who made the statement did so with malice or reckless disregard for the truth. Meeting that second bar is tricky. The U.S. Constitution rightly affords a great deal of latitude for Americans to freely speak their mind….