Investigative journalist Matt Taibbi has initiated a $10 million defamation suit against Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove, a Democrat from California, alleging that she falsely branded him a “serial sexual harasser” during a congressional hearing and then deliberately reiterated the charge across public platforms.
Damn. Ranking Member Kamlager-Dove calls GOP witness Matt Taibbi a "serial sexual harasser" and enters articles into the congressional record about his history as a sex pest pic.twitter.com/D0li1K6Qij
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 1, 2025
The accusation surfaced during a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee—convened to scrutinize what critics have termed the “Censorship-Industrial Complex.” In that forum, Rep. Kamlager-Dove referred to Republicans’ choice of witness—Taibbi—as a “serial sexual harasser,” a claim she later amplified via her official website and social media accounts.
Filed in federal court in New Jersey, the lawsuit contends that the congresswoman’s statements were “demonstrably false” and uttered “with actual malice.” Taibbi’s legal team argues that Kamlager-Dove relied on decades-old satirical material—since publicly retracted and legally discredited—as the basis for her accusation.
Although the Speech and Debate Clause of the Constitution generally immunizes members of Congress from liability for statements made within official proceedings, Taibbi’s suit draws a sharp distinction: it is not the initial remark under scrutiny, but the decision to reiterate the defamatory charge in non-legislative forums that forms the crux of the case.
There is not much a person can say to a member of Congress hiding behind the speech and debate clause of the Constitution.
I can however respond to a member arrogant enough to repeat defamatory claims on social media.
See below for the $10 million libel lawsuit filed today.… https://t.co/1B58zjPSyb— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) April 3, 2025
“There is not much a person like me can say to a member of Congress hiding behind the protections of the Speech and Debate clause,” Taibbi wrote on Substack. “One can, however, respond to a member arrogant enough to repeat those claims on social media. I’ve now done so, in the form of a $10 million libel lawsuit.”
The complaint argues that Rep. Kamlager-Dove’s public repetition of the allegation was calculated to inflict reputational damage—particularly among Taibbi’s readership on platforms such as Substack and Twitter, and in the state where he resides and works.
Go Matt Go