A federal judge in Georgia dismissed a lawsuit filed by former Trump White House ethics lawyer Stefan Passantino, who accused members of the House Committee investigating the January 6th Capitol attack of civil conspiracy and invasion of privacy.
Passantino’s claims stemmed from allegations that the Committee leaked confidential interview transcripts to CNN, harming his reputation. U.S. District Judge Eleanor L. Ross ruled that Passantino’s claims of invasion of privacy and civil conspiracy were based on defamation, which is exempt from lawsuits under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA).
The lawsuit was centered on a CNN article that accused Passantino of advising Cassidy Hutchinson to provide misleading testimony. However, the court found that Passantino’s lawsuit was fundamentally a defamation claim, and because the FTCA excludes defamation claims, the case could not proceed. Ross further stated that Passantino’s injury stemmed from defamatory statements and was barred by the FTCA’s libel/slander exception.
The ruling emphasized that Passantino’s claims depended on the falsity of leaked information, and no other independent actions by the Committee could support his case.