Rachel Maddow Demands Dismissal of $50 Million Defamation Lawsuit

It seems clear that Rachel Maddow accurately quoted Bradlee Dean. But that didn't stop him from filing a frivolous and abusive defamation lawsuit. Rachel Maddow Demands Dismissal of $50 Million Defamation Lawsuit
In court papers, rocker/preacher/radio host Bradlee Dean is said to want to punish the MSNBC host for espousing “leftist, socialist, activist ‘gay rights’, pro-choice, pro-government and anti-religious” ideals.
4/19/2012
by Eriq Gardner
Hollywood Reporter

MSNBC host Rachel Maddow has hit back hard against a $50 million defamation lawsuit brought by heavy metal rocker-turned-radio host and conservative preacher Bradlee Dean. Maddow and NBC Universal are looking to punish Dean for bringing an allegedly meritless suit by filing an anti-SLAPP motion to end the case and force him to hand over legal fees.

According to court papers filed this week in D.C. federal court, the defendants say, "With this lawsuit -- his second -- Dean seeks to move one step closer in his self-described mission to stop the 'radical gay agenda.' The law does not permit him to use the judicial process in this fashion."

Dean brought a defamation lawsuit in July, arguing that Maddow twisted Dean's words in an effort to undermine Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann. On The Rachel Maddow Show, Dean's comments on his own radio show were clipped to become:

"Muslims are calling for the execution for homosexuals in America. ... They themselves are upholding the laws that are even in the Bible, the Judeo Christian God. They seem to be more moral than even the American Christians do. Because these people are livid about enforcing their laws, they know homosexuality is an abomination. ... If America won't enforce the laws, God will raise up a foreign enemy to do just that's what you're seeing in America today."

Maddow then ran Dean's later disclaimer that he has "never and will never call for the execution of homosexuals," and followed it up with some commentary, but it was enough for a defamation lawsuit -- first filed in state court, then dropped, then filed again in federal court to escape the D.C. Anti-SLAPP Act.

For Dean's full quote on his radio show, and a video clip of how Maddow treated it in her show, see our post at the time the first lawsuit was filed...