26431 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Pocket

Just so we’re being completely transparent here, you should know this:

This is being written under duress because I don’t have enough money to fight a legal battle against the Trump machine. Yesterday, I wrote a story based on Melania Trump allegedly having been an escort or paid sex worker when she arrived in New York. A few hours later, the owner of Liberal America received an email threatening us with legal action if we didn’t do as the Trump attorneys instructed — remove the “false statements.” So this is my apology.

First of all, I’m very very sorry that I wrote an article about the past of Melania Trump. I got my information from reputable sources and reported on what was being reported there, but apparently that isn’t good enough to pass muster in the version of American freedom of the press envisioned by Mr. Trump and his team of legal vultures.

Additionally, I’m also sorry that the personal image of the wannabe first lady is so insecure that she feels the need to send her legal hell-hounds chasing after small, independent journalists such as me. I had no idea I was such a threat to the Trump campaign or family. Imagine my surprise.

I’m also sorry beyond words that Mrs. Trump decided to take the stage at the GOP convention and give a speech (large portions of which appear to have been copied or stolen from Michelle Obama) in which she said that only her husband could effectively lead and save the United States. That only her husband could make America great again. In my book, that makes her a public figure, meaning that I can say any damn thing I want about her and she has no recourse whatsoever. Libel is almost impossible to prove, but she and her husband have unlimited financial resources and I don’t, so I have no choice but to write this mea culpa.

But most of all I’m sorry that in Donald and Melania Trump’s view of how this republic works, they think it’s in keeping with the spirit of the First Amendment to threaten, intimidate, and harass reporters. Just the fact that they immediately felt the need to get lawyers involved proves that they don’t believe in preserving, protecting, or defending the Constitution, even though every President has to make a pledge to do so when he or she takes the oath of office. In Donald Trump’s world, the Constitution only applies to those who can afford to hire expensive legal mouthpieces.

Specifically, based on the email from the Beverly Hills law firm being used by the Trumps for this harassment, I was ordered to remove specific statements from the article I wrote, the exact information that is on the website of my source, The Daily Mail:

1. “Melania Trump Was A Sex Worker After Moving To United States”

2. “Melania Trump, the current wife of the GOP nominee for the White House, worked as an escort shortly after she first moved to the United States and was a favorite of rich men such as her current husband.”

3. “On the one hand, they [the girls] pretended to be models, but they principally earned money as elite escorts. They even had two composite cards (presentation cards held by each model) — with two photos and basic information such as measurements, eye and hair color, and agency details.”

4. “The second card…listed whether or not the woman liked older men and what her sexual skills in the bedroom were.”

5. “The modeling agency Melania signed with after arriving in New York was owned by Paolo Zampolli, who allegedly used the agency as a front for an escort service.”

According to the Trump attorneys, those statements are lies and this is the truth:

The true facts are as follows: Mrs. Trump never worked as an escort or sex worker, nor did she ever have a composite or presentation card for the sex business. Mrs. Trump had a single composite card – for modeling. Paolo Zampolli, Mrs. Trump’s former modeling agent, has vehemently and publicly denied allegations that he operated a sex business.

I think by now we all know to question any use of the word “facts” by anyone involved with Donald Trump. But, because we are being threatened, we genuinely apologize for making these statements that were also made by numerous web publications.

My source was the The Daily Mail, via Inquisitr, and the Inquisitr has since removed their story. A screenshot from The Daily Mail website is below, and their article has not been changed as of the time of this writing on 8/22/16. It seems that Trump’s attorneys are targeting smaller publications that they think can be bullied.

Those have been redacted, and you can read the full email from the Trump attorneys by clicking here.

Lastly, I’m also sorry that I had to be put through this particular bit of bullshit by a couple of thin-skinned, whiny, privileged people who want the good that comes with being rich and famous, but not the downside. Donald and Melania, I would tell you both to kiss my ass, but you’d probably try to charge me a fee for it.

The transcript of the email and a screenshot of the email we received from attorneys representing Melania Trump is below, or you can see the PDF here.

Please see the attached legal demand letter sent on behalf of Melania Trump. For your convenience, a copy of the text is pasted below.

VIA E-MAIL AND MAIL

LiberalAmerica.org

c/o Tiff, ink LLC

P.O. Box 266

Kaufman, Texas 75162

[email protected]

Re: Melania Trump – Demand for Retraction and Apology

Dear Liberal America:

This law firm is litigation counsel for Melania Trump. We write in connection with the many libelous statements in the story published on or about August 21, 2016 bearing the headline “BREAKING REPORT: Melania Trump Was A Sex Worker After Moving To United States” located at the URL address: http://www.liberalamerica.org/2016/08/21/report-melania-trump-sex-worker-moving-united-states/ (the “Story”).

The following statements in the Story, among others, are false and defamatory, and therefore, we demand that you immediately and permanently remove each of these statements from the Story, and print a full and complete retraction and apology, with as prominent placement as the original Story:

1. “Melania Trump Was A Sex Worker After Moving To United States”

2. “Melania Trump, the current wife of the GOP nominee for the White House, worked as an escort shortly after she first moved to the United States and was a favorite of rich men such as her current husband.”

3. “On the one hand, they [the girls] pretended to be models, but they principally earned money as elite escorts. They even had two composite cards (presentation cards held by each model) — with two photos and basic information such as measurements, eye and hair color, and agency details.”

4. “The second card…listed whether or not the woman liked older men and what her sexual skills in the bedroom were.”

5. “The modeling agency Melania signed with after arriving in New York was owned by Paolo Zampolli, who allegedly used the agency as a front for an escort service.”

The true facts are as follows: Mrs. Trump never worked as an escort or sex worker, nor did she ever have a composite or presentation card for the sex business. Mrs. Trump had a single composite card – for modeling. Paolo Zampolli, Mrs. Trump’s former modeling agent, has vehemently and publicly denied allegations that he operated a sex business.

Your publication of the defamatory statements above constitutes, among other claims: libel per se, false light invasion of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Remedies for your legal violations include, among others, actual damages, special damages, punitive damages, and temporary and permanent injunctive relief. Actual malice can be proven by nature of the fact that my client has publicly denied the foregoing statements, and her denial has been published in other publications. In addition, this letter constitutes direct notice of the false and defamatory nature of the foregoing statements, and actual malice can easily be proven, particularly for any continued publication.

Please confirm in writing within twenty-four (24) hours of the transmission of this letter that the foregoing demands will be, and are being, fully complied with. Failure to do so will leave my client with no alternative but to institute immediate legal proceedings against you and, should that occur, she would pursue all available causes of action and seek all available legal remedies to the maximum extent permitted by law. Please govern yourselves accordingly.

This letter is not intended as a full or complete statement of all relevant facts or applicable law, and nothing herein is intended as, nor should it be deemed to constitute, a waiver or relinquishment of any of my client’s rights, remedies, claims or causes of action, all of which are hereby expressly reserved.

Very truly yours,

CHARLES J. HARDER Of

HARDER MIRELL & ABRAMS LLP

cc: Mrs. Melania Trump

Ryan J. Stonerock, Esq.

Featured Image Via The New York Post