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‘Reckless Disregard For The Truth’: Dan Bongino Sues The Daily Beast For Defamation

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Shelby Talcott Senior White House Correspondent
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Former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino filed a $15 million defamation lawsuit against The Daily Beast on Tuesday after the outlet reported NRATV dropped him.

Bongino, now a conservative pundit and Fox News contributor, said in his podcast Tuesday that The Daily Beast wrote a story “that was patently false.” Daily Beast reporter Lachlan Markay wrote that he was “dropped” by NRATV, which is another way to say he was “fired,” according to Bongino.

Bongino said he decided not to renew his contract with NRATV.

“I gave them the opportunity multiple times, asked them on Twitter to correct it. They refused,” Bongino said. “I gave them an opportunity via text recently to correct it. They refused. We are suing The Daily Beast for $15 million.”

“This is really disgusting. … They picked on the wrong guy. I’m not going to allow you to defame my character.”

Dan Bongino speaks onstage during Politicon 2018 at Los Angeles Convention Center on October 20, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Rich Polk/Getty Images for Politicon)

Dan Bongino speaks onstage during Politicon 2018 at Los Angeles Convention Center on October 20, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Rich Polk/Getty Images for Politicon)

The complaint accuses the outlet of falsely reporting he was fired, despite The Daily Beast reportedly having evidence that he was not. (Former Secret Service Agent Bongino Demands Apology From Pelosi For Lying About, Insulting Secret Service)

“As evidenced by his texts, Markay knew that NRA TV had not ‘dropped’ Plaintiff,” the complaint reads, according to Fox News. It added that the outlet has a “long-standing animus and ill-will” against Bongino.

“Daily Beast’s false and defamatory statements were not published in good faith, the falsity was not due to an honest mistake of the facts, and there were no reasonable grounds for believing that the statements about Plaintiff were true,” the complaint reads. “In spite of Plaintiff’s request for a retraction and apology, Daily Beast refuses to make and issue a full and fair correction, apology, or retraction.”

The Daily Beast did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.

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