Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) is suing Rachel Maddow and MSNBC for defamation for reporting that Nunes conspired with Trump and Russia.

Devin Nunes Files Lawsuit Against Rachel Maddow And MSNBC

Bloomberg reported:

California Republican Congressman Devin Nunes sued NBCUniversal Media alleging that MSNBC’s liberal talk show host Rachel Maddow defamed him with on-air suggestions he’d conspired with a Russian agent to rig the 2016 presidential election for Donald Trump.

Nunes, who is the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, says Maddow has repeatedly targeted him with defamatory statements that accuse him of obstruction of justice and treason. Nunes said Maddow has also called for him to lose his committee post and be stripped of his security clearances.

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Devin Nunes Is Suing Over A March Episode Of The Rachel Maddow Show

Maddow said on her March 18, 2021, program, “Last summer, the Senate Intelligence Committee in the house learned that same guy, Derkach, had mailed a stack of unknown materials to Devin Nunes, who is the top Republican on the Intelligence Committee to this day. Andrei Derkach singled out by name by the Director of National Intelligence as someone under Vladimir Putin‘s direct purview who helped run this organization targeting our election last year. Congressman Nunes accepted a package from him. What was in it? Congressman Nunes has refused to answer questions about what he has received from Andrei Derkach.”

Nunes is claiming that since Maddow didn’t ask him for comment, MSNBC knew the information was not true. As someone on the left, who has tried to get comments out of Republicans, I suspect that it is likely that Maddow asked for comment, and her request was ignored. My suspicion is based on the fact PoliticusUSA does not get a reply from Republicans when we reach out on a regular basis.

Fellow Members Of Congress Have Called Devin Nunes A Russian Asset

Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) has called out Nunes and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) as members of Congress who get misinformation from the Russians. Nunes was caught using Russian talking points during the first Trump impeachment hearings.

Rachel Maddow’s reporting was based on documented facts. Nunes has a long history of lawsuits against media companies and Twitter parody accounts, but this case is likely to go nowhere because Devin Nunes doesn’t want there to be discovery. The last thing Nunes wants is anyone to dig deep into his potential connections with Russia and how they may impact his behavior in Congress.

If this happens, Devin Nunes’s lawsuit may turn out to be a massive mistake that he will regret.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association