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.”
LaCivita issued a short statement confirming his defamation lawsuit against the Daily Beast.
“Fuck around and Find Out,” LaCivita wrote on X.
Lawyers representing LaCivita sent three letters to the Daily Beast urging the outlet to retract its “defamatory” story and issue an apology, Axios first reported in January. In the first letter, his team stated in November that the piece was defamatory because it alleged that he personally received the cash, instead of his firm, and failed to mention that most of the money was used to pay for vendors and campaign advertising, leading the Beast to issue a correction at the end of the piece.
A second letter was then sent to the Beast, arguing that the correction was insufficient and and retraction was needed, Axios report. The article “depicts Mr. LaCivita as deceptively pocketing campaign money for his own personal gain” and was on the “verge of being ‘fired’ because of it,” attorneys said.
The third letter demanded that the outlet delete a podcast segment that referenced the incorrect $22 million figure, Axios reported. The Beast followed LaCivita’s request and issued an editor’s note to say the outlet “regret[ed” the error.”
LaCivita and the Republican National Committee (RNC), who is funding the case, first expressed their intentions to sue The Daily Beast in January as the outlet continues to “stand by” its reporting, according to Axios.
A spokesperson for The Daily Beast told the Daily Caller News Foundation (DCNF) that the lawsuit is “meritless” and that the outlet intends to “defend itself vigorously.”
“The Daily Beast stands by its reporting on Chris LaCivita. His lawsuit is meritless and a transparent attempt to intimidate the Beast and silence the independent press,” the spokesperson said. “The Beast will defend itself vigorously and looks forward to following the money to confirm where every penny flowed in LaCivita’s LLC.”
Trump and his associates have entered several legal battles with media outlets. ABC News settled a lawsuit with Trump by paying him $15 million in December after host George Stephanopoulos falsely claimed he was found liable of rape during a March 10, 2024, segment, while the president also filed a $10 billion lawsuit against CBS News for editing a “60 Minutes” interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris.
The Republican National Committee did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.
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