MSNBC’s Fake News Catches Up to It as Judge Issues Brutal Ruling
MSNBC is facing the consequences of spreading false information to discredit former President Donald Trump.
NBCUniversal, MSNBC’s parent company, is now heading to trial after being sued for defamation by Dr. Mahendra Amin, who is seeking $30 million in damages.
Dr. Amin, a gynecologist at a Georgia Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility, was accused of mistreating women detainees. Judge Lisa Godbey Wood of the Southern District of Georgia determined that Rachel Maddow, Nicolle Wallace, and Chris Hayes made multiple “verifiably false” claims about Amin.
A nurse at the facility, Dawn Wooten, claimed Amin was conducting “mass hysterectomies” and referred to him as the “uterus collector.” According to the Washington Free Beacon, her accusations were based on hearsay and were proven false.
The lawsuit's discovery process revealed that MSNBC and NBC journalists and executives had doubts about the validity of Wooten’s statements but chose to proceed with their reporting regardless.
Chris Scholl, NBCUniversal’s deputy director of standards, expressed concern to Hayes during a conference call, stating that Wooten “has no direct knowledge of this stuff” and that Amin “has a pretty clean record.”
Hayes admitted he initially “discounted the whole thing,” yet still featured Wooten on his show with the segment titled, “ICE whistleblower speaks out, alleges mass hysterectomies performed on migrant women.”
Maddow also covered the story on her show, stating, “The nurse says she and her fellow nurses, quote, questioned among ourselves, like, goodness, he’s taking everybody’s stuff out, that’s his specialty, he’s the uterus collector … He’s taking all their uteruses out or he’s taking their tubes out.”
MSNBC’s reporting led to demands for investigations by the U.S. Senate. However, the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations concluded in its report, “The Subcommittee did not substantiate the allegations of mass hysterectomies on ICDC detainees. Records indicate that Dr. Amin performed two hysterectomies on ICDC detainees between 2017 and 2019. Both procedures were deemed medically necessary by ICE.”
Judge Wood has called for a jury trial to determine if MSNBC’s coverage constitutes “actual malice,” the legal standard for defamation.
Although NBCUniversal could opt for an out-of-court settlement, they have chosen to proceed to trial, according to the Free Beacon.
This situation serves as a warning to other networks, whether left-leaning or right-leaning, about the risks of sacrificing journalistic integrity for partisan purposes.
MSNBC, known for its strong opposition to former President Donald Trump, seized every chance to criticize his administration.
In this instance, Wooten’s claims were magnified to attack Amin and undermine Trump.
Maddow appeared to use the story to target Trump’s immigration policies, suggesting Amin was abusing and mutilating women.
Hayes seems to have pursued the story with a similar motive.
Aside from Dr. Amin, another casualty in this scenario is the American taxpayer.
Taxpayer money funded an investigation by a subcommittee, prompted by MSNBC’s inaccurate reporting.
Like other major news outlets, MSNBC’s credibility has significantly declined since Trump’s presidency and continues to suffer.