Tulsi Gabbard Sues Hillary Clinton For Defamation Over ‘Russian Asset’ Remark

Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard has filed a defamation lawsuit against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The suit specifically brings up the charges that Clinton had called Gabbard a “Russian asset” this past fall.

“Tulsi Gabbard is running for President of the United States, a position Clinton has long coveted, but has not been able to attain,” claimed the lawsuit, which was filed on Wednesday in Manhattan (via the New York Post).

“In October 2019 — whether out of personal animus, political enmity, or fear of real change within a political party Clinton and her allies have long dominated — Clinton lied about her perceived rival Tulsi Gabbard. She did so publicly, unambiguously, and with obvious malicious intent,” it continued.

Clinton made the charges on a podcast hosted by former Obama adviser David Plouffe. The former first lady claimed that Russia was “grooming” someone to run as a third-party candidate to lessen the chances of a Democratic victory.

Many politicos blamed the campaigns of third-party candidates, such as Jill Stein and Gary Johnson, for Clinton’s loss in 2016.

Though Clinton did not specifically reference Gabbard by name in the recording, it was strongly implied that Clinton was talking about the congresswoman, and Plouffe even ended the podcast by naming Gabbard as the subject of Clinton’s attacks.

When the former New York senator was asked about the accusations the next day, spokesman Nick Merrill doubled down on the comments, calling them a “reality.”

Gabbard’s suit also claimed that there was malice behind Clinton’s comments, caused by the Hawaiian lawmaker’s endorsement of Clinton rival Bernie Sanders in the 2016 fight for the Democratic presidential nomination.

The acrimonious relationship between Sanders and Clinton has recently been front and center in the media after the former first lady slammed the Vermont senator in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

“Nobody likes him,” Clinton said of her rival, before refusing to commit to voting for the self-described democratic-socialist should he be the Democratic presidential nominee, as was previously reported by The Inquisitr.

Though the New York Post claims that the lawsuit is seeking an unspecified monetary amount, Fox Business is reporting that the 38-year-old lawmaker is asking for $50 million in damages.

In addition to the monetary compensation, Gabbard’s lawsuit also emphasized that the representative is not working with the Russian Federation.

“Tulsi is not a Russian asset,” the lawsuit stated.

“Instead, Tulsi is a loyal American servant, declaring her allegiance to the United States of America both as a soldier and as a member of Congress,” it concluded.