8/28 – A federal judge in Nevada has entered a default judgment in favor of Kash Patel and his nonprofit foundation in their defamation lawsuit against blogger and podcaster Jim Stewartson. Patel, a former Trump aide now confirmed as FBI Director, sued in June 2023 over Stewartson’s online claims that he was a “Kremlin asset,” sought to overthrow the U.S. government, and helped plan the January 6 Capitol attack.

U.S. District Judge Andrew Gordon granted the judgment on August 5 after Stewartson failed to respond to the suit, finding the statements defamatory and made with actual malice. While Patel sought $10 million in damages, the court awarded $250,000 total—$200,000 to Patel and $50,000 to his foundation—split evenly between compensatory and punitive damages. The court found little evidence of measurable harm but held that punitive damages were warranted to deter similar conduct.

Gordon emphasized that while public figures must tolerate criticism, false factual allegations published with actual malice are not protected by the First Amendment. Stewartson maintains he was never properly served and called the lawsuit frivolous.