Former Mississippi governor demands sources, sues reporters and editors for defamation
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- čas přidán 1. 07. 2024
- Former Mississippi governor Phil Bryant is suing the newspaper Mississippi Today, one of its reporters and others for defamation, saying the paper wrongly accused him of a crime. The case involves the newspaper's reporting about a fraud scandal for which it won a Pulitzer Prize. Bryant says he did nothing wrong. NBC News' Ken Dilanian reports.
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#Mississippi #Defamation #Newspaper
How does 77million go missing under his watch and he not be involved.
At the very best, he'd have to be hopelessly incompetent....
@@MelissaThompson432 or purposely incompetent
For those who have seen the movie casino "If you didn't know about it you're too dumb for the job, if you did know you were in on it"
@@mastersplintersdaddy5640 yes. But what I meant was, at his most blameless, he would have to be stupid. Anything else, and he's guilty of at least aiding and abetting, if not actually being part of the crime.
I'm sure we all are convinced he knew exactly what happened to every penny.
Watch the video: His argument is that it isn't illegal, not that he didn't do it. The defamation case will fail, because he did the act, and just like how it may be legal for him to do it, journalists have freedom of speech, and can say they used embezzlement as a common English use, not legal, which negates any claim.
The attorney said "all I want is the money". This isn't about the ex-governor's reputation being restored. It's about teaching the press to keep quiet.
Bingo!
The press will never let anyone keep them quiet. Not in the US. Unless the courts remove the free press clause in the constitution.
It’s about defamation
@@toomanydonutsdon’t give them any ideas
Seems like the governor and his minions also want some measure of revenge on the whistleblowers, which should frighten all Mississippians. A public retraction should be sufficient to make any damage to his reputation whole again.
Farve should have been charged.
Yeah, but good ole white boy….
Farve is just another dumb jock.
@@sukn7091Exactly, and it's one of the reasons the United States sucks.
Favre was no doubt suckerd.
He has enough money.
Favre no doubt got suckerd.
He has enough money.
Disgusting former governor disgusting lawyer.
No that's lawyer was spot on. He said he's going for money.
Why? The governor had nothing to do with it
A court order says governor had nothing to do with it
@@huckfin1598
You mean he was just incompetent and not a good manager?
“All I want is the money” - Right-wing politics in a nutshell
You mean politics period in a nutshell.people like you say stuff like that are dumb enough to think the democrats are better lol.sure,Nancy pelosi is the poster child for honesty & integrity lol.wake up
Yeah if you take it out of context. But you wouldn’t do that. That would be stupid
At least he's honest. Democrats aren't
@@MrShanester117 “If you take it out of context.” The right-wing does that every minute of the day.
@@MrShanester117”But but… but the context!!”
This is disgusting when so many Mississipi people are poor and the allocated funds should have been spent on what they were allocated for.
Black people certainly have their problems that they're working on. But why can't the white people control their problematic people??
America is one of the few countries in the world where an individual can pull themselves out of poverty and become extremely wealthy. The gov. should be fostering this mentality not giving handouts...
@Chad_Max so no handouts huh? Bret Farve would like a word with you.
@@Chad_Max I bet you cashed the stimulus checks the government sent you.
Statement is indicative of the entire Republican Party across the board
Greed is killing America
Greed IS 'merica
It's Global
Greed BUILT America. Greed is what drives people to excel every day. Greed isn't a bad thing. Unchecked and uncontrolled greed can have bad effects though.
@@JohnVanderbeckyou’re proving his/her point…
@@JohnVanderbeck Doesn’t the Bible warn in 20 different ways why greed will ruin your soul? I’m not Christian but I’ll wager you are.
“All I want is the money!” Spoken like a true lawyer.
You know why sharks don't eat lawyers ?
Professional Courtesy
What about ALL THE MONEY lost under HIS CLIENT’s watch? 🤑
@@LifenaDay525 I’m Wondering how he communicates with females and/or males when he’s wanting.
That smirk on his face just before he said that tells me everything - it’s just a money grab!
Spoken like a true anti American republican.
The poorest state. He should apologize for his incompetence
those people dont need to apologize, all they want is the money!
It wasn't incompetence
That lawyer is a truly repugnant individual.
The lawyer needs to put '& Streisand' in his firm's name.
As is Farve.
Defense attorneys usually are. They're defending the indefensible
@@cjshannon296 Either you honor The Constitution and Bill of Rights or you don't. We are a nation of laws. Due process is part of that. Part of due process is for defendants to have legal representation. Legal representation means to the best of their abilities. Not intentions, moral standing, or beliefs, but abilities. The defense attorney's own beliefs don't matter in the performance of their duties. Most of them don't like their clients either. They just understand the role they play is crucial to the integrity of our judicial system.
@@cjshannon296 Oh no... we absolutely need defense attorneys, but that is a different issue.
If that lawyer had not attended law school I am certain he would be selling lemons on a used car lot.
Yep no scruples. Hilarious. There's always one just like him out there somewhere. I want money. Give me money.
that how he got through college.
I think we can all agree: that defense lawyer is scum and should be in prison
At best !
could still happen; just sayin'
this is part of why Red poor states stay poor...
Right. Dirty type conservatives always manipulate things for themselves and take the money at all costs. Says something loud and clear. Money lovers contort themselves up into twisted knots for more $.
It’s by design and always has been sadly
@@amandanelson4681 You can't call it design anymore when everyone has the same access to information and the ability to educate themselves. Some people are blissfully ignorant and will never leave their hometown, let alone their state. They lack worldly perspective
At least rich people in poor states have new volleyball facilities using the money for poor children.
True. Bad politicians for 160 years because white working class southerners vote racism.
“I did not work hard my entire life to be equal to sone black guy” Archie bunker
This vengeful behavior by the government clearly shows a lack of remorse and would explain why corruption exists in Mississippi.
8 criminal indictments so far. Incompetence &/or corruption in government is always expensive for the citizens.
It won't go anywhere, the system is rigged, sure they may find some poor schmuck to take the fall while the big wheels go free.
That's why we NEED whistleblowers and the people must remain vigilant.
Polticians like this ex governor no longer take the stand that “the buck stops here”. Instead they take their cues from Trump. No accountability whatsoever.
He's not Corrupt, he's just Completely Incompetent.
I think we can give him both
Two things can be true at the same time. The former governor of Mississippi is BOTH corrupt and incompetent. Let’s not downplay the terrible impact his actions have had on the state of Mississippi.
He didn't say that he did not help multi millionaire Brett Favre get Federal welfare money to build a volleyball area vs helping poor kids in the poorest state - he is mad because someone said he embezzled the money. I am sure Brett gave to his campaign.
One would wonder why he gave a football player money if her didn’t expect something in return? What was the return then?
Used to be those at the top were examples and knew what their people were doing, Republicans love to have the excuse of willful ignorance.
@@Maybe1Somedayquid pro quo
@@Maybe1Somedaystock options in Prevacus.
Corruption in every direction
Spoken like an honest lawyer: "All I want is the money", not all I want is my client's name cleared.
"All I want is the money" proves he does not deserve a dime
This is why southerners need to vote. Vote for decent people! Look them up for crimes on the web! Vote based on what they DO not what they SAY.
Like northerners did for Blagojevich?
@@Just-Human, see how you are rather than looking to better yourself. You look for reasons to justify keeping the status quo.
Many Southerners plus people in other states as far north as the Dakotas want to vote but are stopped by these states' ID laws, curbs on early and absentee voting, long lines at polling locations on election day and challenges from poll watchers.
@@centredoorplugsthornton4112bull crap
@@litedawg look it up your the only one who doesn’t know this, like a flat earther
If allegations are true, there is NO DEFAMATION.
Bryant is arguing that the paper accused him of embezzlement.
One would think if the paper ran a story retracting errors such as this, defamation would be a long shot.
I’m guessing what Bryant is really after are the sources of the story so he can plan his retribution… ya know, do his imitation of Trump.
A court order says the allegations against governor are not true. Please be smarter
Not actually what the court order said, it says there's enough for discovery and as part of that discovery reveal your sources. Please be smarter as well.
@@mkuhnactual as long as we have those who teach like yourself I'm sure i will.
@@huckfin1598you’re stupid
Governor is going to get absolutely wrecked in court. He should have to pay out of pocket and be banned from public service.
Doubtful gov already won in court after all.
Phil Bryant was talking to Brett Favre about the money. He knew what he was doing. Him and Favre should be charged
Another jerk stating they are innocent, all the while stuffing cash in the luggage.
i am soooooo sick of the trump catch phrase, "i did nothing wrong!"
guess what, if you are saying that catch phrase, then you probably did it!!!
Get used to it. It’s now part of the Republican playbook. Never apologize. Never admit fault. Never accept a loss. Alternative “facts”.
@@jonsmith7659Gaslight MUCH.
I laughed hard when he said that. It usually means the speaker is a crook.😁😆
@@jonsmith7659 what is wrong with them? What’s wrong with saying, “sorry, I made a mistake.” ?
The court says he did nothing wrong
Republicans!!!
This good old boy thinks he can intimidate the press with a law suit.
because in that neck of the woods it's all Republican owned and 50 years BEHIND THE REST OF THE USA.
It's not a state secret why Mississippi ranks 50 in EVERY category.
Southern state leaders are determined to "rise" with their backwoods, axx backwards ideology
The sad part is that his lawsuit has merit. MT jumped the gun by printing his role without any charges being filed. PB definitely had a hand in this, but at the same time it’s negligent journalism.
@@zeroturn7091 HIS office - MEANING HIM - signed off on it - HE IS LIABLE .
@@csnide6702 I agree, it just so happens that he is well insulated to the point where the AG wouldn’t consider bringing charges forth. Every time I bring up his political ties my comments get deleted.
Some rich / powerful people mad their scam got exposed.
Now . . . someone can break a story about why Jackson doesn't have clean drinking water.
What's stopping you?
Clean water should be the big issue of our time. But it is barely on the list at this point.
What? They haven't fixed that yet? Egad.
@@alainarchambault2331 they have.
You would think that a governor would be proud of a Mississippi newspaper winning a Pulitzer Prize. ?????
We don’t celebrate being able to read here in Mississippi. Most of the people here can’t or wont read so those of us that can and do don’t brag.
The New York Times won Pulitzers for stories that turned out to be not true. So tfwiw….
Some writer won an award for the completely false Russiagste story. So....
@@loopthetube Except it's not false. All you have to do to know that is open a $5 a month server in the cloud and watch the number of times Russia tries to hack in. Then use a honey pot that lets them get in, but doesn't let them delete anything.
@@loopthetubeThe same fake Russiagate story in which multiple people did real federal time in prison for…..
Why wasnt Brett Favre and this man arrested!!! If they were black they would’ve been arrested!!!! This is a shame and God doesn’t sleep!!!!
They know they stole that money!!! Always crying innocent!!!
If they were black ? Tiffany Henyard is the most corrupt mayor in the country . Yet she is still a free woman. So don’t give me this race crap.
That’s a question for Lynn Fitch.
@@zeroturn7091 ask her then
Not only they would’ve been arrested, they now would be serving lengthy jail terms.
Jus like Glen "Big Baby" Davis.
The attorney said it all in 6 words.
His Suit is the shovel that will dig his own grave.
...and wasn't it his responsibility to KNOW ? Doesn't HE have final approval of the Budget? And wasn't it his DUTY to the citizens to ensure it was dispersed as approved?
Like a little kid pointing the finger at a his baby brother: "...I didn't know my room wasn't cleaned, I told Bobby to do it..."
The great thing about this lawsuit is discovery and depositions. Let's find out everything that happened.
Freedom of the press. Unless the sources agree to be public, it won’t happen and the reporters go to jail.
Fair point
It would be hilarious if they decided maybe there is enough evidence to charge the ex-governor. That's up to the AG and whether he's willing.
@@woodstream6137*she, and she’s MAGA so it’s not even a remote possibility.
"Who told you!" does not help you look innocent
Even though it's the 21st century messing with the good ole boys network is a precarious endeavor
as governor, you be the captian of the ship which makes YOU responsible!!
How long has this been happening and in how many states.
😀you right,they all got sticky fingers!
Corruption can happen anywhere. There are hundreds of millions of people in the US, so off simple numbers it is going to be everywhere. This type of crap however is extremely common in the South, one of the prime reasons it is such a complete failure state there.
California or New York may have plenty of problems, but they are not nearly as broken as essentially all of the Southern states.
Following Trump's playbook are we 😂😂
You are projecting again.
Defensive much
All this lawyer wats is the money....what a rare statement this is?
He knew the settlement and lawyers fee will bankrupt the newspaper.
People need to learn how to edit.
@@Just-Humanyou need to learn to shut up
Okay.. i didn't understand lawyer at the first time of hearing . Cuz.. i never thought to hear that lawyer would say all he wants is money. Why would he say something like that? It doesn't make sense. Wow
It's the type of world he lives in the type of people that he knows. That's what some people value and that's all they value. What can I get for myself? It's gotta make us happy when we see the good in people. You need contrast to see the difference better. God bless those with God's love.
No matter how this issue is resolved, the lawyers will get their money.
Favre should have been charged. The rich follow a different set of laws.
The former governor certainly didn't act in an ethical sense!! When I see an investigative newspaper report, I take the term "embezzled" in the colloquial sense, not in the legal sense. I am not reading a court document, just a journalist's verbiage!! How can reporting truth be considered defaming someone??
Yea I honestly believe that politicians nowadays don’t have a clue what is ethical.
@@adamhuffman3354
Especially Republicans!
... Embezzle is a legal term with a specific meaning.
That’s the issue. He claims he didn’t have direct knowledge of the crimes and no one claimed he did by not pressing charges.
I think using the term, governor’s administration embezzled funds would be appropriate maybe? 🤔
@@viviorko except that embezzlement is for personal gain...
There was none.
There was fraud.
I directed funds for the poor to a multi-millionaire. How was that wrong?
That isn’t at the heart of the issue. If it was, they would have charged him directly
So why hasn't the governor or even Brett Favre, for that matter, been indicted?
@@conchobar because you don’t understand the case
Tolerance of corruption is why Latin American countries and the U.S. south remains radically unequal.
Truth is an absolute defense for libel. Governor has oversight and fiduciary duty to see the funds are spent wisely. If he didn’t know the agency was acting illegally he’s still responsible. 1st amendment and protection of sources prevails. They need to counter sue and subpoena the governors communications and records.
Heard that!
I didnt know 😂😂😂
Everyones favorite response nowadays
Real journalists at the front line!
How do you not know 77 million was taken in a state like Mississippi? He’s either lying, stupid, or both.
Great work!!! Thats right. Lawyer not concerned about the community just "the money" theres your defence
Need all communications from Governor and attorney and all involved no attorney client priviledge. Lawyer needs to be sued for attempting to violate 1st Amendment ,a good 7figure judgement changes his mind.
Somebody needs to go to prison
Always follow the money
So, this man whole life 's work has been to understand English Language, but when shown how the money was used to buy expensive things for himself that he did not own. This man said, I didn't know I was doing something wrong? Guilty
Now there is this notion that the republicans keep saying that the democrats are not targeted, is this just another example. DOJ go after a democratic next, I know there guilty also. Rich people are always easy. Targets when the DOJ wants to do the right thing
He didn’t order the funds to buy anything for himself.
Did you even read the original article or watch this video?
@@viviorko I didn't read the article or watch the whole video. But let's talk about it, more. Seems like the purchases were for someone else then, if I am understanding you right, and someone else help him. Well, that just sounds like a criminal organizations.
His watch, his fault. Despicable Lawyer. Grifters all.
Phil Bryant: I’m corrupt but I wasn’t corrupt like that.
The Gov, knew what was going on with that money. I'm sure he got a pocket full to look the other way when this stuff was going down.
Defamation? Even if you win, the damages should be 1 cent.
and he pays all the lawyers cost
Money is what is driving the control.
Farve should have been charged!! No one else would have had the opportunity to pay the money back - no harm, no foul? Sucks.
They need to prove actual malice since the governor is obviously a public figure. That’s a pretty high bar. And given the one possible slanderous comment came from one individual, even though that was the CEO, and he retracted it and apologized I really doubt they can prove actual malice.
The wealthy and powerful want to stay that way. Politicians(through their jobs) often help them do that.
Disbarment for his lawyer now.
The governor's attorney is not doing him any favors with that attitude
Sad but greed is an American value.
"REPARATIONS.". I would love to see something like reparations for those poor families who needs it come to pass.
Thank you, "Lester Holt." 🌹
That is not how these sorts of lawsuits work against the press. The fact the CEO published a correction and apology nullifies malice. There is legal precedent in all districts.
Has he never heard of DISCOVERY?!? 😂😂😂
Governor admits to being GULLIBLE, he should know he’s the Governor.
You are not officially a Republican until you have stated the following: "I did nothing criminal."
Stop being so partisan. There is plenty of this to go around on both sides. #DraintheSwamp.
Just like the democrats do uneducated one sided stupid is your major down fall..
@FredPena-rd5cf the corruption is certainly not balanced 50-50.
@@mattmanyam i beg to differ. Youre just being partisan. Now go clean up your room. President XI is visiting soon. Lol
@@FredPena-rd5cf not "partisan"... observant.
He wants the responsibility of leading the state but he doesn't want the responsibility of the actions of what done under his watchful eye.
The story of every deadbeat dad out there. He has earned the criticism he has asked for but not every dollar he has received as an employee.
“All I want is the money.” THAT is the most honest thing you will ever hear a lawyer say! 😂😂
“All I want is money” what….lol what
Idk about this whole thing but i like that lawyer “all i care about is the money” honest guy.
They should ALL be held responsible for this. How does a Governor lose that much money and not know what's going on? He's either GROSSLY incompetant or a liar
"Accountability" from a governor who let millions get stolen from the state. 😂😂😂
A hit dog will holler
This is what happens in Red States…in Louisiana as well
They're not that smart and they're really greedy. They do not have much empathy for others. They need to go.
It’s not just allegations, it’s text messages. Communications straight with his aides. None of it could have happened without him signing off.
The people who “Really want to be in charge” are the last ones you want to be in charge of anything.
The Lawyer said it all…. “…All I want is the money”. He doesn’t care about getting his client “justice” - for the paper or journalists to say “we ‘oppsed’ about the “embezzling””…he’s just looking for a paycheck.
He sounds like he Might just be the embodiment of the “sleazy lawyer” archetype…but, I’d reserve any “judgement” until after this all plays out…
I remember this crap happening for Favre daughter volleyball.
I laughed out loud at 3 in the morning when he said “all I want is the money”.
"All i want is the money". Thats a lawyer in a nutshell.
The conservative courts don’t care about your freedom of speech. Unless It affects one of their own.
The CEO should have stayed in his lane. Loose lips sink ships. His foolish words will bankrupt the paper.
Lol. Nuh uh. You should stay in your lane 🤫
We'll see, I doubt they'll be able to prove actual malice here
How does confidential sources give evidence towards the motive of the CEO’s description? It is clearly about trying to find the leaks so they can persecute whistleblowers.
Let him sue, he’s scared his wrong doing is about to come to light.
The newspaper is in the wrong. It is obvious libel. You can't claim someone is guilty of a crime and then refuse to provide evidence or sources. Pretty basic stuff here.
What are you talking about? The buck stops with him. If he didn't u derstand or didn't know what was going on with the expenditure of federal funds for his state, that is at the very least negligence on his part.
The video makes it very clear they never accused him of being a criminal. He's upset over how others discussed the article. That's not defamation by them. Besides his own lawyer doesn't appear to be disputing the facts discussed in the article. Just the coverage that came from it!
@@doriancoreyscloset421 the article claimed the governor embezzled the funds. Embezzlement is a crime. The governor has not been charged with a crime nor is there any evidence that he embezzled funds.
@@bfrandsen1 you are wrong the lawsuit isn't about the article but how the ceo described it, i suggest you rewatch and pay attention..
He's got nothing, the discovery process will be interesting
As usual, he's not saying he didn't do what he was accused of, just that he didn't like the reporting.
I’m looking forward to the discovery process and depositions. Hope the corrupt politicians are fully exposed.
The Governor should be ashamed of how much the State under his " leadership" has fallen behind
When you're trying to act innocent don't hire a lawyer who, in my opinion, looks like a crook
It’s not defamation if it’s true
His lawyer said it all ."all we want is the money "
How typical for the ex-Gov’s lawyer to admit “All I want is the money!”
At least he’s honest about that…
It's always the guys in charge that say they never knew what was going on
Does Bryant not understand the discovery process in lawsuits?
WHYY was Favre never charged? 🤔🤔
I get tired of these dirty politicans taking funds meant for the people. This has to stop. Public servants are voted in by the people and should have to face prosecution when they caught. Immunity needs to stop! Prison sentences need to start!