Faces of CNN another defamation lawsuit after a federal appeals court revived a 2021 complaint that the cable news network may have defamed Project Veritas with “actual malice.”

The 11th Northern District Court of Appeal of Georgia ruled Thursday that Project Veritas reasonably alleged a defamation claim when former CNN anchor Ana Cabrera suggested on air in 2021 that Project Veritas had been banned from Twitter for “promoting misinformation”.

Project Veritas, a controversial infiltration journalism organizationvehemently disagreed with Cabrera’s characterization and demanded a correction, arguing that Twitter had in fact banned Project Veritas for violating Twitter’s policy of “publishing private information” or “doxxing.”

Project Veritas filed a defamation lawsuit when CNN refused to retract the statement. The district court initially granted CNN’s motion to dismiss, but Project Veritas appealed and the court reversed its decision after a lengthy process.

CNN ACCUSED OF WITHHOLDING CRITICAL DOCUMENTS NEEDED TO DETERMINE VALUE BEFORE DEFAMATION TRIAL

CNN was involved in a defamation lawsuit filed by Project Veritas over a segment led by then-CNN anchor Ana Cabrera. (Screenshot/CNN)

“After careful consideration and through oral argument, we conclude that Veritas has plausibly alleged a claim for defamation under New York law. And although the district court did not address the issue, we also find that Veritas plausibly alleged that the statements were published with “actual malice, an additional requirement imposed by the First Amendment in a defamation action involving public figures,” said the the court wrote.

“Accordingly, we vacate the district court’s decision and remand the defendant for further proceedings,” the court continued.

Cabrera – who now works for MSNBC – returned to the air four days after telling CNN viewers that Project Veritas had been banned from Twitter for “promoting misinformation” but had pivoted “towards a reason completely different behind the ban,” according to the court.

The court ruled that “it is plausible that the reputational damage arising from Cabrera’s on-air statements ‘has a different effect on the mind of the (audience)’ than that invoked by the truth – according to which Veritas published a private house number in an unidentified town on an unidentified street – allegedly produced.

“We conclude that at least at the motion to dismiss stage, Veritas has plausibly alleged that the implications arising from Cabrera’s statements are not substantially true and are therefore actionable under New York’s defamation law. York We further hold that Veritas plausibly alleged that the statements were false and were published with actual malice. Accordingly, the district court erred in granting ‘s motion to dismiss. CNN under Rule 12(b)(6). We vacate the district court’s decision and remand for proceedings consistent with this decision.

NAVY VETERAN’S DEFAMATION LAWSUIT AGAINST CNN PUSHES TOWARD TRIAL AS JUDGE HEARS MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

Circuit Judge Ed Carnes added concurring thoughts: “If you sit on the bench long enough, you see a lot of things. However, I never thought I would see a major news agency downplaying the importance of telling the truth in its broadcasts. But that’s what CNN did in this case.”

Project Veritas traveled to X to celebrate their victory.

CNN did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

CNN also faces a high-stakes defamation lawsuit from a U.S. Navy veteran who claims CNN defamed him by implying he profited illegally by helping people flee Afghanistan during the war. The Biden administration military withdrawal from the country in 2021. A civil trial in the case is scheduled to begin January 6 before Judge Henry in the Circuit Court of Bay County, Florida.

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