President Trump on Friday filed a libel lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal's publisher and its leader, Rupert Murdoch, after the paper published a story on what it called a "bawdy" birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein that the paper alleged was signed by Mr. Trump.

The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of Florida, seeks at least $10 billion in damages. It alleges the paper's claims were "false, defamatory, unsubstantiated, and disparaging," and accuses the Journal of "clear journalistic failures."

The paper claimed the letter, from the early 2000s, featured Mr. Trump's signature as well as a birthday message and a drawing of a nude woman. According to the Journal's report, it was collected in a book along with letters from other friends and acquaintances to mark Epstein's 50th birthday in 2003. The president has denied the report, calling the letter a "FAKE."

The president has previously acknowledged he crossed paths with Epstein years ago, but has said they had a "falling out."

The suit names the Journal's publisher, Dow Jones & Company, along with its parent company, News Corporation. Also named in the lawsuit as defendants are Wall Street Journal reporters Joseph Palazzolo and Khadeeja Safdar, the bylines on the Epstein story, as well as Murdoch and Dow Jones CEO Robert Thomson.

In a Truth Social post, Mr. Trump referred to it as a "POWERHOUSE Lawsuit" and a "historic legal action."

A Dow Jones spokesperson said in a statement: "We have full confidence in...

Read Full Story: https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimwFBVV95cUxOOVhKNmFiSXEwS2E3N25BVlp4...