Former Hunter Biden Associate Tony Bobulinski Sues Fox News’ Jessica Tarlov for Defamation

Bobulinski had already filed another $10 million defamation lawsuit against former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson.
Former Hunter Biden Associate Tony Bobulinski Sues Fox News’ Jessica Tarlov for Defamation
Jessica Tarlov attends the 2023 FOX Nation Patriot Awards at The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tenn., on Nov. 16, 2023. Terry Wyatt/Getty Images
Chase Smith
Updated:
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A Fox News host has been sued for defamation by former Hunter Biden associate and current witness in the impeachment inquiry of President Joe Biden Tony Bobuliski, after she claimed on a network program that his legal fees were being covered by a Trump Super PAC.

The $30 million suit, filed on March 28 in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, said the claims made by “The Five” co-host Jessica Tarlov were “unequivocally false and defamatory.”

Also part of the lawsuit is Stefan Passantino, an attorney who worked in President Trump’s Office of White House Counsel and was hired by the Trump Organization. He has represented Mr. Bobulinski on legal matters.

“Ms. Tarlov said this in response to Mr. Passantino’s representation of Mr. Bobulinski during his appearance before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Accountability earlier that day,” the lawsuit stated. “Ms. Tarlov lied to achieve media headlines and ratings and to serve her political agenda by deliberately besmirching the character of Messrs.”

Clarification

Ms. Tarlov attempted to retract comments she made in the March 20 episode of the show the following day, after attorneys for Mr. Bobulinski sent a letter threatening to sue the network for defamation.

“I would like to clarify a comment I made yesterday during our discussion of Tony Bobulinski’s appearance at the congressional hearing,” she said. “During an exchange with my colleagues about the hearing, I said that Mr. Bobulinski’s lawyers’ fees have been paid by a Trump super PAC as recently as January. What was actually said during the hearing was that the law firm representing Mr. Bobulinski was paid by a Trump PAC. I have seen no indication those payments were made in connection with Mr. Bobulinski’s legal fees and he denies that they were.”

Fox News said in a statement to The Epoch Times that Ms. Tarlov’s comments were accurate and defended her on-air correction.

“Jessica Tarlov’s March 21st statements were accurate and made clear that she was not aware of anything to indicate that payments from a Trump PAC to Elections, LLC were made in connection with Tony Bobulinski’s legal fees. We stand by our decision to not issue any further corrections and will vigorously defend against these inaccurate claims.”

Retraction Demanded

Though Tarlov’s statement on air the following day was characterized as a retraction, the lawsuit said instead it was a “petulant” attempt to avoid making a complete retraction and apology.

“Petulantly, Ms. Tarlov failed to retract and apologize, as is more fully addressed in this Complaint,” the suit claimed. “Accordingly, Messrs. Bobulinski and Mr. Passantino seek to hold Defendant accountable for her malicious and knowing lies.”

The suit claims they sent another letter to the network telling them Tarlov’s “attempted retraction” was “half-hearted, incomplete, and unacceptable.”

“She was given a second chance to remedy her defamatory comments,” the suit stated. “Specifically, Ms. Tarlov petulantly made it a point during the March 21, 2024, show to later state that her failed retraction attempt was a ‘clarification,’ not an apology. Furthermore, by saying, ‘What was actually said at the hearing,’ Ms. Tarlov left the wrong impression with the show’s viewers, which was intentional.”

The suit further claims that the comments made regarding Mr. Bobulinski were meant to “inflame a segment of the country” and further a “pattern of hostile and malicious intent to defame the character and reputation of anyone associated with President Trump, such as Mr. Passantino, and anyone who dared speak up against the Biden family.”

Further claimed is that since 2020, when Mr. Bobulinski first started speaking publicly against the Biden family, he has spent over $500,000 of his own money on legal fees.

“Neither President Trump, nor any persons or entities affiliated with President Trump, have ever paid for any of Mr. Bobulinski’s legal fees during this time. Additionally, Mr. Passantino’s law firm did not accept any money from any PACs, Trump Super PACs or otherwise, for his representation of Mr. Bobulinski.”

The Original Comments

During the House oversight hearing, Mr. Bobulinski testified that President Biden was aware of and participated in his family’s business schemes. Another of Mr. Biden’s former business partners, Jason Galanis, also testified.

The president has repeatedly denied having any knowledge of or involvement in his family members’ businesses.

During the March 20 episode of “The Five,” the co-hosts were discussing whether Mr. Bobulinski’s testimony implicated President Biden.

Earlier in March, Mr. Bobulinski filed a $10 million defamation lawsuit against former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson, who served under President Donald Trump, alleging she lied about him in a book she recently published titled “Enough.”

In that book, Ms. Hutchinson claimed that Mr. Bobulinski wore a “ski mask” during a meeting with President Trump’s then-chief of staff, Mark Meadows, at a 2020 campaign rally in Rome, Georgia.

During the meeting, Mr. Meadows also handed Mr. Bobulinski a folded-up sheet of paper or a small envelope, Ms. Hutchinson wrote in the book. The interaction left her with a “pit in my stomach,” she wrote.

However, in his lawsuit against her, Mr. Bobulinski argued Ms. Hutchinson’s claims were false and gave the impression that the two men had done something nefarious or unethical, when in fact the two men had merely been speaking about Mr. Bobulinski’s well-being after he had received death threats for his comments that were critical of the Biden family’s business dealings.

The defamatory statement has “directly and proximately caused Mr. Bobulinski to suffer significant damages, including direct damages, damages to his reputation, humiliation, embarrassment, mental anguish, anxiety, and fear for his safety and the safety of his family members, all of which are ongoing in nature and will be suffered in the future,” the lawsuit states.

Mr. Bobulinski, through his attorneys, has also threatened to sue Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) for defamation in relation to a post on X about him following the House hearing.
Katabella Roberts contributed to this report.
Chase Smith
Chase Smith
Author
Chase is an award-winning journalist. He covers national news for The Epoch Times and is based out of Tennessee. For news tips, send Chase an email at [email protected] or connect with him on X.
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