A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by journalist Michael Wolff against First Lady Melania Trump, criticizing the case as an improper use of the federal court system.
U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil described the lawsuit as a “contorted” legal strategy and said it represented “an inappropriate level of tactical gamesmanship.” While acknowledging that the two sides have a genuine dispute, she declined to allow the case to proceed in federal court, stating that it should be litigated through normal legal channels.
Wolff filed the lawsuit after receiving a letter from Melania Trump’s attorney demanding that he retract statements allegedly linking the first lady to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and warning of possible legal action if he failed to do so.
Trump’s legal team later moved the case from state court to federal court. Although Judge Vyskocil ruled that federal jurisdiction existed, she ultimately dismissed the matter, saying she would not “be drafted to oversee an abusively presented spat.”
A spokesperson for the first lady welcomed the decision, saying Melania Trump remains committed to challenging what she considers false and defamatory claims. Her attorney has previously argued that Wolff’s statements caused significant reputational and financial harm.
Melania Trump has repeatedly denied any association with Epstein, who died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
In his lawsuit, Wolff argued that the Trump family has used the threat of costly legal action to discourage criticism. He also maintained that some of his comments, including characterizations of the Trumps’ marriage, constituted protected opinion under the First Amendment.
The legal dispute over the allegedly defamatory statements could continue in another court as both sides pursue their claims.
