Ex-New York Times editor reportedly gives emotional apology to Sarah Palin in libel retrial

USA Today

18-04-2025

Ex-New York Times editor reportedly gives emotional apology to Sarah Palin in libel retrial The former New York Times editor said he was under pressure when he added the language linking Palin's political action committee to a 2011 shooting in Arizona, Reuters reported.
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A former New York Times opinion editor got emotional in court at a retrial in Sarah Palin's libel lawsuit against the paper, multiple outlets reported.
Palin, the former Republican vice presidential nominee, sued the NY Times over a 2017 editorial that she alleges damaged her reputation. A jury rejected Palin's claim in 2022, and a judge moved to dismiss the lawsuit. But Reuters reported the case headed to a retrial on April 15 after an appeal.
James Bennet, the editor who wrote parts of the piece at the center of the lawsuit, testified on April 17 and got emotional while apologizing to Palin, according to the Associated Press.
'I blew it, you know,' Bennet said, per the New York Times. 'I made a mistake.'
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NYT editorial linked Palin to 2011 Arizona shooting that injured Gabby Giffords
Palin's lawsuit alleges the NY Times defamed her when an editorial piece falsely stated her political rhetoric contributed to a 2011 shooting in Arizona that killed six and injured former Rep. Gabby Giffords.
Bennet said he was under deadline pressure when he added language claiming there was a link between the shooting and a map from Palin's political action committee, Reuters reported.
The NY Times issued a correction that said it 'incorrectly stated that a link existed between political rhetoric and the 2011 shooting."
When the case was first tried in 2022, the judge said Palin's legal team did not demonstrate that the NY Times published the error out of "actual malice," a requirement in libel lawsuits involving public figures. But Reuters reported the appeals court ruled the previous verdict was tainted, sending it to a retrial.
The judge in the case said Bennet's apology was "heartfelt," but Palin shrugged it off, according to the AP.
Contributing: Marina Pitofsky, USA TODAY; Reuters
Kinsey Crowley is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at [e-mail]. Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @kinseycrowley.bsky.social.