Donald Trump has filed an amended $15bn defamation complaint against the New York Times, book publisher Penguin Random House and two of its reporters, after a federal judge dismissed his initial lawsuit last month.
The 40-page complaint, filed in a Florida court on Thursday, names investigative journalists Suzanne Craig and Russ Buettner, along with the newspaper and publisher. It also includes an itemised list of dozens of allegations linked to specific articles and statements. The former president seeks $15bn in compensatory damages plus punitive damages to be determined at trial.
In September, US district judge Steven Merryday threw out the original 85-page complaint, citing rule 8(a) of federal civil procedure, which requires a “short and plain statement”. He noted the complaint contained “many, often repetitive, and laudatory (toward President Trump) but superfluous allegations”. The judge gave Trump 28 days to refile.
The lawsuits stem from a series of New York Times articles and the book Lucky Loser, which examined Trump’s wealth and his father’s fortune. The complaint argues that claiming Trump was “discovered” as a host for The Apprentice is inaccurate, and disputes reporting that his inheritance was built on tax evasion schemes.
