RNC, Trump Advisor Threaten Defamation Suit Against The Daily Beast

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Republican National Committee (RNC) and Chris LaCivita, a senior advisor to former President Donald Trump, are preparing to file a defamation lawsuit against The Daily Beast over a 2024 report alleging LaCivita received $22 million from the Trump campaign. The RNC and LaCivita claim the report falsely implied he pocketed the funds for personal gain.

The Daily Beast initially reported in October 2024 that LaCivita’s firm was paid $22 million by the Trump campaign and affiliated political action committees. However, the publication later corrected the figure to $19.2 million, clarifying that the payments were made to LaCivita’s LLC, not him personally. Despite the correction, the RNC and LaCivita argue the article’s narrative remains defamatory.

“The Beast is committed to following the money and reporting accurately on Chris LaCivita’s LLC, which received $19.2 million from the Trump campaign, the RNC, and related super PACs, according to public records,” a Daily Beast spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “We stand by our journalism and will defend ourselves vigorously if necessary.”

Attorneys for the RNC and LaCivita have sent three letters to The Daily Beast since November 2024, demanding retractions and corrections. The first letter, sent on November 5, accused the publication of acting “with actual malice” and claimed the article falsely suggested LaCivita personally profited from campaign funds. The Daily Beast responded by adding an editor’s note acknowledging the error but maintained the accuracy of its reporting.

In a second letter dated November 12, attorneys from Geragos & Geragos criticized the editor’s note as “entirely inadequate,” arguing it failed to address the defamatory implications of the story. “The remainder of the reporting has remained substantially the same, and despite the addition of the editor’s notes and corrections, it continues to falsely imply that Mr. LaCivita personally pocketed $19.2 million paid by the Trump campaign for campaign advertising,” the letter stated.

A third letter, sent on January 21, demanded the removal of a podcast episode discussing the report. The Daily Beast complied by deleting the segment but reiterated its commitment to the story. A note added to the podcast description read, “The Beast has deleted a segment that appeared on the original edition of this podcast… The Beast regrets the error. For clarity of listening, the Beast is removing the entire segment. The Beast stands by its reporting on this subject, which appears elsewhere.”

LaCivita, who co-led Trump’s successful 2024 campaign alongside Susie Wiles, has been a prominent figure in Republican politics. The RNC and LaCivita’s legal team have demanded that The Daily Beast preserve all documents and communications related to the story in anticipation of litigation. The Daily Beast declined further comment on the matter.

This legal dispute highlights the ongoing tensions between media outlets and political operatives, particularly in the context of campaign finance reporting. As the case unfolds, it could set a precedent for how defamation claims are handled in the politically charged media landscape.