CNN must face Project Veritas' defamation lawsuit, US appeals court rules

(Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Thursday revived a defamation lawsuit accusing CNN of defaming Project Veritas in its explanation of why the conservative group, which is often accused of using deceptive tactics, was suspended from Twitter in 2021.

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta said Project Veritas plausibly alleged a defamation claim under applicable New York law after CNN host Ana Cabrera suggested on air that the Twitter ban was for "promoting disinformation."

It also said Project Veritas plausibly alleged that CNN acted with actual malice, meaning it knew its statements about the group were false or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.

CNN and its lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Project Veritas' lawyers did not immediately respond to similar requests.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Mark Potter)