Hillary Clinton says Gabbard defamation suit a bid to silence critics and make headlines

Lady Hillary Clinton is asking a New York court to throw out a defamation lawsuit filed by Hawaii Representative Tulsi Gabbard. The Congresswoman alleged that the former Secretary of State and First Lady defamed her by saying she was “a Russian asset” and “the favorite of the Russians.”

In documents filed in Manhattan Federal Court on March 13, Clinton stated that her statements were opinion, Bloomberg reported. As such, they are protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

“This lawsuit -- which seeks $100 million in damages for a single passing remark made by Secretary Clinton in a 40-minute podcast interview about the 2020 election -- is an effort by Rep. Gabbard to silence her political critics while making political headlines,” Clinton stated in the papers.

Gabbard filed the defamation suit on January 22 in U.S. District Court in Manhattan. In her suit, the Hawaii representative alleged that Clinton “lied” about her “in a deliberate attempt to derail Tulsi’s presidential campaign,” according to Time.

Gabbard’s complaint was about the comments Clinton made in an October 17 interview for the podcast “Campaign HQ With David Plouffe,” which is hosted by former President Barack Obama’s campaign manager in 2008.

“She’s the favorite of the Russians,” Clinton said in the podcast interview. “They have a bunch of sites and bots and other ways of supporting her so far. And, that’s assuming Jill Stein will give it up, which she might not because she’s also a Russian asset. Yeah, she’s a Russian asset.”

“[Gabbard] has seen her political and personal reputation smeared and her candidacy intentionally damaged by Clinton’s malicious and false remarks,” Gabbard’s attorney Brian Dunne said in a statement. “One would expect someone of Mrs. Clinton’s political background to act with a greater level of maturity and responsibility but her personal hostility toward Rep. Gabbard apparently clouded Mrs. Clinton’s reason and blinded her to U.S. defamation laws.”

Meanwhile, Gabbard announced that she is quitting from the presidential race and is now endorsing Joe Biden. “Although I may not agree with the vice-president on every issue, I know that he has a good heart, and he’s motivated by his love for our country and the American people,” the Hawaii representative said, according to The Guardian.