Key Takeaways
- Matt Taibbi filed a $10 million libel lawsuit against Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove after she accused him of being a “serial sexual harasser” during a House hearing and repeated it on social media, removing her congressional immunity.
- The lawsuit claims the accusations were made with “actual malice” and based on discredited, satirical content, signaling a strong pushback against political smear tactics.
- This case could set a legal precedent, warning lawmakers that repeating defamatory claims outside protected congressional settings can carry serious legal consequences.
A California Democrat thought she could say anything without consequences.
But her reckless accusations just landed her in scalding hot water.
And Matt Taibbi made this House Democrat instantly regret smearing him in an attempt to attack Trump.
Matt Taibbi slammed Democrat Representative with a $10 million lawsuit that left her trembling with fear
Matt Taibbi, the journalist who helped expose the Twitter Files scandal, isn’t taking baseless accusations lying down.
On Thursday, Taibbi filed a massive $10 million libel lawsuit against Democratic California Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove after she publicly accused him of being a “serial sexual harasser.”
The California Democrat hurled this inflammatory accusation during a House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee hearing on Tuesday about the “Censorship-Industrial Complex,” where Taibbi was testifying as a witness.
“To distract from the dumpster fire this administration is pursuing,” Kamlager-Dove claimed, Republicans were “elevating a serial sexual harasser as their star witness.”
Damn. Ranking Member Kamlager-Dove calls GOP witness Matt Taibbi a “serial sexual harasser” and enters articles into the congressional record about his history as a sex pest pic.twitter.com/D0li1K6Qij
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 1, 2025
Twitter Files journalist strikes back at defamation
Not content with making these accusations during the hearing, the Democrat lawmaker then repeated the claims on social media platforms including X (formerly Twitter) and BlueSky – a fatal mistake that opened her up to legal liability.
Under normal circumstances, members of Congress enjoy protection from lawsuits for statements made during official proceedings thanks to the Speech and Debate clause of the Constitution.
However, Kamlager-Dove’s decision to take these accusations to social media stripped away those protections.
Democrats’ usual protection doesn’t apply to social media
Taibbi addressed this directly in a Substack post announcing his lawsuit: “There is not much a person like me can say to a member of Congress hiding behind the protections of the Speech and Debate clause of the Constitution. One can however respond to a member arrogant enough to repeat those claims on social media.”
The journalist even directly warned the Representative on social media, writing: “Rep. Kamlager-Dove, no woman has ever accused me of engaging in sexual harassment once, let alone serially. See you in court. Please do not evade service.”
Taibbi’s lawsuit doesn’t mince words about the falsehood of the accusations, stating they are “demonstrably false and were made with actual malice.”
Matt Taibbi is suing Congresswomen Kamlager-Dove for libel.
Members of Congress are shielded from liability for defamation for statements made during legislative activities, but Kamlager-Dove apparently didn’t realize this doesn’t extend to her social media communications,… pic.twitter.com/wXWZBWHqRc
— Laura Powell (@LauraPowellEsq) April 3, 2025
The filing further notes that the Democratic lawmaker relied on “unverified, decades-old satirical content that had been widely discredited by prior legal action and public corrections—corrections of which she, as a public official with access to such information, was undoubtedly aware.”
Democrats’ smear tactics face increasing pushback
This lawsuit represents a growing trend of journalists and public figures fighting back against what many see as reckless character assassination from Democrat politicians.
For years, Democrats have used unfounded accusations to tarnish the reputations of anyone who challenges their narratives or exposes inconvenient truths.
Taibbi became a target after he helped expose the Twitter Files, which revealed the extent of government pressure on social media companies to censor certain viewpoints – particularly conservative ones.
His reporting showed how federal agencies worked behind the scenes with Twitter executives to suppress information, including the Hunter Biden laptop story before the 2020 election.
Since those revelations, Democrats have worked overtime to discredit Taibbi and other journalists who’ve exposed government censorship efforts.
The lawsuit states that Kamlager-Dove’s decision to republish the statements on social media “demonstrates an intent to harm Plaintiff’s reputation in his home state and beyond, rather than a good-faith engagement in legislative debate.”
This case could have major implications for how members of Congress conduct themselves on social media platforms, potentially creating a precedent that forces lawmakers to be more careful about repeating unverified accusations outside the protected confines of congressional proceedings.
Democrats have long used the tactic of personal destruction to silence critics, but with this $10 million lawsuit, at least one Representative is learning there can be serious consequences for spreading lies.
The hearing where these accusations were made was specifically focused on censorship and government interference in free speech – making the Democrat’s attempt to smear the witness all the more ironic.
As of publication, neither Taibbi’s attorneys nor Rep. Kamlager-Dove has responded to requests for comment from multiple news outlets.
