Paul Ingrassia, who recently withdrew as President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the federal Office of Special Counsel, has filed a $150 million defamation lawsuit against Politico and reporter Daniel Lippman.
In a post Monday night on X, Ingrassia announced: "I have just filed a $150,000,000 defamation lawsuit against Politico and Daniel Lippman. Very proud of all the hard work done by my absolutely incredible legal team — the Truth will finally come out, and Justice will be served!"
The lawsuit, filed in Virginia, stems from an Oct. 9 Politico article titled "Key Trump nominee accused of sexual harassment."
The story alleged that Ingrassia, 30, who has served in the Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security during Trump's second administration, had been accused of misconduct.
Edward Andrew Paltzik of the Houston-based law firm Taylor Dykema, who represents Ingrassia, issued a forceful statement describing the suit as a "landmark, powerful, and necessary" legal action.
"Paul has never sexually harassed anyone — full stop," Paltzik said. "This is a historic first step on Paul's road to complete vindication."
Paltzik added that Ingrassia and his family have endured "extraordinarily difficult" weeks since the report, including "the derailment of his nomination and death threats," but said his client has "displayed incredible composure under fire."
The attorney said more details would be shared soon.
The defamation suit follows a string of controversies surrounding Ingrassia's nomination to head the independent agency that investigates whistleblower retaliation and enforces federal civil service laws.
Reuters reported that Ingrassia withdrew from consideration last week after several Republican senators, including Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said they would oppose his confirmation.
Ingrassia later confirmed in a social media post that he lacked enough Republican votes to advance.
The backlash erupted after Politico published text messages allegedly sent by Ingrassia that included racially charged remarks and a self-description of having a "Nazi streak."
The outlet also reported that Ingrassia disparaged the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and other celebrations of Black culture.
Paltzik said at the time that the messages may have been "manipulated" and that, if authentic, they were "self-deprecating and satirical humor." He accused Politico of taking statements "out of context" to smear his client.
Ingrassia's lawsuit marks the latest legal challenge against a major media outlet over reporting tied to Trump-era officials. His filing asserts that Politico's claims were false, defamatory, and caused severe personal and professional harm.
"This is about who we are as a country," Paltzik said. "Paul is standing up not only for himself but for truth."
If successful, the lawsuit could become one of the most consequential defamation cases filed against a major Washington outlet in recent years.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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