‘F*ck Around And Find Out’: Trump 2024 Co-Campaign Manager Slaps Daily Beast With Defamation Suit

Chris LaCivita, a senior political adviser for President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign, filed a lawsuit against The Daily Beast Monday for allegedly publishing “malicious” reporting about him with “reckless disregard for the truth.”

LaCivita’s lawsuit revolves around an October 2024 article by investigative reporter Michael Isikoff, which alleged that the senior adviser made $22 million off of the Trump campaign, Axios reported. The Daily Beast refused LaCivita’s requests to retract the story, instead adding an editor’s note stating that he had made $19.2 million from the Trump campaign and clarifying that his firm received the alleged money.

“Editor’s Note: The original version of this article mistakenly reported that LaCivita’s firm had received a total of $22 million from Trump’s campaign and affiliated PACs. Based on a further review of FEC records, the correct total is $19.2 million. The Beast regrets the error. The article has also been updated to make clear that payments were to LaCivita’s LLC not to LaCivita personally,” the Beast’s editor’s note currently reads.

The lawsuit states that the story, titled “Trump In Cash Crisis—As Campaign Chief’s LLC’s $19.2m Pay Revealed,” caused LaCivita to “suffer special damages,” including damage to his reputation, Axios reported.

“Defendant’s false statements created the false impression that Mr. LaCivita was charging exorbitant rates for his services and personally enriching himself at the expense of the campaign, thereby harming his reputation as an honest, reasonable, and ethical political operative,” the lawsuit says. “As a direct and proximate result of the publication of the defamatory statements, Mr. LaCivita has suffered special damages, including damage to his reputation and loss of business income.”