Judge dismisses Russian billionaire's suit against AP

Source: AP

WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a defamation lawsuit brought against The Associated Press by a Russian billionaire with ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

U.S. District Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle said in the 21-page ruling that aluminum magnate Oleg Deripaska, who sued over a March story about his business relationship with former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, had "cherry-picked sentences" that he wrongly claimed were defamatory.

She noted that Deripaska "does not dispute any material facts" presented by the news cooperative about his background and his role in advocating for Russian interests internationally.

The judge also said Deripaska had failed to show the AP's story was published with actual malice or with reckless disregard for the truth, a legal standard he would have to meet for the case to move forward.

Read more: http://www.startribune.com/judge-dismisses-russian-billionaire-s-suit-against-ap/451363463/