Judge Throws Out Fox Contributor Dan Bongino’s Defamation Lawsuit Against The Daily Beast

A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed against The Daily Beast by Dan Bongino, according to court documents filed Thursday.

Bongino, a former Secret Service member and NRATV host who now frequently appears on Fox News’ primetime shows to defend President Trump, accused the publication of defamation in December 2019 over a 2018 story about the end of his television show for the National Rifle Association, titled “We Stand.” Bongino claimed the article defamed him by suggesting that his “unfitness to perform the duties” of the job led to him and the network not agreeing on a contract extension.

But U.S. District Court Judge Jose Martinez wrote that the $15 million lawsuit was filed “without merit,” in part because the article in question was simply not defamatory.

Bongino can refile the case by August 20th provided that he do so “in good faith” and “based on other facts” not apparent in the original lawsuit. The conservative commentator may be on the hook for The Daily Beast‘s legal fees under Florida law.

William Vaillancourt

William Vaillancourt is a writer and editor from New Hampshire whose work has appeared in The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, The Progressive, Slate and Areo Magazine, among other places. He holds a BA in Political Science and History from Boston University.