Trump reelection campaign files libel suit against CNN

The Trump reelection campaign on Friday continued its redress efforts against news outlets that it says have made knowingly false statements about it — filing a libel suit against CNN. 

The suit follows similar ones in recent days against The New York Times and The Washington Post, also related to reporting about Russia’s attempts to meddle in U.S. elections.

"Today the president's reelection campaign has filed suit against CNN for false statements, claiming that the campaign ‘assessed the potential risks and benefits of again seeking Russia's help in 2020 and has decided to leave that option on the table.’ The statements were and are 100 percent false and defamatory,” Jenna Ellis, senior legal adviser to Donald J. Trump for President Inc., said in announcing the suit. 

Several attempts to reach CNN late Friday afternoon were unsuccessful.

The complaint alleges CNN was aware that the statements were false upon publishing them “but did so for the intentional purpose of hurting the campaign, while misleading its own readers in the process,” according to the reelection campaign press release. 

The reelection campaign also said the suit, filed Friday in the U.S. District Court in Atlanta, follows a February 25 request to CNN to retract the allegedly false statements.