Gilmore v. Jones

• Decision Date: 29 March 2019
• Docket Number: Case No. 3:18-cv-00017
• Court: U.S. District Court — Western District of Virginia
• Parties: Brennan M. GILMORE, Plaintiff v. Alexander ("Alex") JONES, et al., Defendants.

370 F.Supp.3d 630

Brennan M. GILMORE, Plaintiff

v.Alexander ("Alex") JONES, et al., Defendants.

Case No. 3:18-cv-00017

United States District Court, W.D. Virginia, Charlottesville Division.

Signed March 29, 2019

Aderson Bellegarde Francois, Pro Hac Vice, Andrew Charles Mendrala, Georgetown Law Civil Rights Clinic, Brianne Jenna Gorod, Pro Hac Vice, Constitutional Accountability Center, Elizabeth B. Wydra, Pro Hac Vice, Washington, DC, for Plaintiff.

Andrew M. Grossman, Pro Hac Vice, Elizabeth Anne Scully, Mark I. Bailen, Pro Hac Vice, Richard Bryan Raile, Baker & Hostetler LLP, Washington, DC, Thomas Eugene Albro, Evan Davis Mayo, Tremblay & Smith, PLLC, Charlottesville, VA, Aaron J. Walker, Manassas, VA, Brandon Bolling, Pro Hac Vice, Brennan Tyler Brooks, Pro Hac Vice, Richard Thompson, Pro Hac Vice, Thomas More Law Center, Ann Arbor, MI, Dale Reese Jensen, Dale Jensen, PLC, Staunton, VA, for Defendants.

MEMORANDUM OPINION

NORMAN K. MOON, SENIOR UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Plaintiff Brennan Gilmore was among hundreds of individuals who gathered in Charlottesville, Virginia on August 12, 2017 to protest various white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups participating in the "Unite the Right" rally. As Gilmore recorded footage of protestors that afternoon, he captured James Alex Fields, Jr. driving into a crowd, killing Heather Heyer and injuring approximately thirty-six others. Gilmore posted this footage on Twitter, and the video quickly went viral. Gilmore alleges that, in the days after August 12, Defendants published articles and videos falsely portraying him as a "deep state" operative who conspired to orchestrate violence in Charlottesville for political purposes. Gilmore brought suit in this Court against Defendants for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress (IIED).

Defendants move to dismiss on multiple grounds. Various defendants move to dismiss pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1), arguing that the Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction. All defendants move to dismiss under Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(2), asserting that this Court cannot exercise personal jurisdiction over any defendant. All defendants contend under Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) that Gilmore fails to state claims against them for either defamation or IIED.

The Court holds that it can exercise diversity jurisdiction over this action pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1332, and that it can exercise specific personal jurisdiction over all defendants except Defendant Allen B. West, who will be dismissed. The Court further holds that Gilmore has adequately pled defamation against Defendants but has not adequately pled IIED. Thus, Gilmore's defamation claims will survive, but his IIED claims will be dismissed.

PARTIES

Gilmore brings claims for defamation and IIED against eleven defendants. The parties' alleged identities and roles are outlined below.

I. Plaintiff Brennan Gilmore ("Gilmore")

Gilmore is domiciled in Albemarle County, Virginia. (Am. Comp.¹ ¶ 13). In 2017, Gilmore took leave from the U.S. State Department, where he is employed as a Foreign Service Officer. (Id. ). Gilmore served as chief of staff for Tom Perriello during Perriello's 2017 Virginia gubernatorial campaign. (Id. ). He now serves as a business consultant for an information technology company. (Id. ).

II. Defendant Scott Creighton ("Creighton")

Creighton is domiciled in Tampa, Florida, and is the owner and author of the website American Everyman.² (Am. Comp. ¶ 19; dkt. 47-2 at 2). On August 13, 2017, Creighton wrote and published an article entitled "Charlottesville Attack, Brennan Gilmore and ... the STOP KONY 2012 Pysop? What? ". (Id. ). Creighton also allegedly published a video entitled "Charlottesville Attack: Brennan Gilmore – Witness or Accessory ?" on the same day on the since-suspended American Everyman YouTube channel. (Am. Comp. ¶ 19).

III. Defendant James Hoft ("Hoft")

Domiciled in St. Louis, Missouri, Hoft is the owner and author of the website Gateway Pundit. (Am. Comp. ¶ 20; dkt. 47-3 at 2). On August 14, 2017, Hoft wrote and published an article entitled "Random Man at Protests Interviewed by MSNBC, NY Times Is Deep State Shill Linked to George Soros " on the Gateway Pundit website. (Id. ).

IV. Defendant Lee Stranahan ("Stranahan")

On August 15, 2017, Stranahan appeared alongside Defendant Lee Ann McAdoo in a video posted on InfoWars.com entitled "Bombshell Connection Between Charlottesville, Soros, CIA. " (Am. Comp. ¶ 17; dkt. 29-6). A former employee of Breitbart News , Stranahan currently operates The Populist , a "political journalism" website. (Am. Comp. ¶ 17). Stranahan is also allegedly an employee of RT , a Russian television network that recently registered with the Department of Justice as a foreign agent. (Id. ). Gilmore alleges that Stranahan is domiciled in Dallas, Texas but temporarily lives and works in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, "conduct[ing] business" from a "shared workspace in Arlington, Virginia." (Id. ). Stranahan is the only defendant who disputes that he is domiciled outside of Virginia. (Dkt. 47 at 8–9).

V. Defendant Lee Ann Fleissner, a.k.a. Lee Ann McAdoo ("McAdoo")

McAdoo is domiciled in Sarasota, Florida, and works as an independent contractor and reporter for Free Speech Systems, LLC, in which capacity she "produce[s] content for Infowars." (Am. Comp. ¶ 18; dkt. 57-3 at 1). On August 15, 2017, McAdoo authored an article posted on the InfoWars website entitled "Bombshell Connection Between Charlottesville, Soros, CIA. " (Am. Comp. ¶ 18; dkt. 29-6). The article included a video "produced" by McAdoo of the same title, featuring McAdoo interviewing Stranahan. (Am. Comp. ¶ 18; dkt. 57-3 at 1).

VI. Defendants Alex Jones ("Jones"), InfoWars, LLC ("InfoWars"), and Free Speech Systems, LLC ("Free Speech Systems")

Domiciled in Austin, Texas, Jones is the owner and publisher of the InfoWars website, as well as the host of associated radio and web-based shows. (Am. Comp. ¶ 14; dkt. 57-1 at 1). InfoWars is a Texas limited liability company (LLC) operating as the website InfoWars.com. (Am. Comp. ¶ 15). InfoWars "presents itself as a news media outlet" and "funds its work by the sale of various dietary supplements on its online store." (Id. ¶¶ 123–24). Free Speech Systems is a related Texas LLC that operates InfoWars.com and The Alex Jones Channel on YouTube.³ (Id. ¶ 16; dkt. 57-2 at 1). Jones allegedly owns Free Speech Systems. (Am. Comp. ¶ 16). Infowars.com is labeled a "Free Speech Systems, LLC website," and purchases of InfoWars dietary supplements "may result in a billing entry on the purchaser's credit card as Free Speech Systems, LLC or Magnolia Management." (Id. ).

Gilmore alleges that these defendants published defamatory statements about him in the August 15, 2017 article authored by McAdoo and the accompanying video featuring McAdoo and Stranahan. (Id. ¶¶ 16, 83). Jones allegedly posted the article text and video on his YouTube channel and Twitter account. (Id. ¶¶ 87–88). Gilmore asserts that these defendants also published defamatory statements in a video Jones produced entitled "Breaking: State Department/CIA Orchestrated Charlottesville Tragedy. " (Id. ¶ 102; dkt. 57-1). This video was posted on InfoWars.com and The Alex Jones Channel on YouTube. (Am. Comp. ¶ 102).

VII. Defendants Allen B. West ("West"), Derrick Wilburn ("Wilburn"), Michele Hickford ("Hickford"), and Words-N-Ideas, LLC ("Words-N-Ideas")

West, a former congressman and regular contributor to Fox News, is domiciled in Dallas, Texas. (Am. Comp. ¶ 21; dkt. 59-1 at 1). Gilmore alleges that West owns the Allen B. West website,⁴ which published an allegedly defamatory article entitled "BOMBSHELL: New evidence suggests Charlottesville was a complete SET-UP. " (Am. Comp. ¶ 21). Wilburn, domiciled in Colorado Springs, Colorado, authored that article. (Id. ¶ 22; dkt. 47-5). Words-N-Ideas, an allegedly inactive Florida LLC, is identified by Gilmore as the "purported owner" of the Allen B. West website. (Am. Comp. ¶ 24). Hickford, also domiciled in Florida, is the managing member, registered agent, and self-described "President" of Words-N-Ideas, (id. ¶ 23; dkt. 47-4 at 2), as well as the alleged "editor-in-chief" of the Allen B. West website. (Am. Comp. ¶ 23). West contends that Hickford and Words-N-Ideas owned and operated the Allen B. West website when Wilburn's article was published, and that he had "no involvement with operating the website" or publishing the article. (Dkt. 59-1 at 1–2).

FACTS AS ALLEGED

Gilmore, in "his personal capacity," was among the many "peaceful counter-protestors" who gathered in Charlottesville, Virginia on August 12, 2017 "in opposition" to the Unite the Right rally. (Am. Comp. ¶ 27). The rally was organized by various white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups as a response to the Charlottesville City Council's decision to remove a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee from a city park and change that park's name from "Lee Park" to "Emancipation Park." (Id. ¶¶ 25–26). Gilmore captured footage of James Alex Fields, Jr. driving into a crowd of protestors, and shared this video on Twitter to show that the attack was "deliberate" and "to help convince the public to stay off the streets." (Id. ¶¶ 29–32).

Soon after sharing this footage, Gilmore received interview requests from local, national, and international media outlets. (Id. ¶ 33). Between August 12 and 13, 2017, Gilmore spoke with multiple outlets "to provide an eyewitness account." (Id. ¶ 34). Gilmore did not solicit these interview requests "or ask media outlets to share his video." (Id. ¶ 35). Defendants published articles and videos containing statements about Gilmore between August 13, 2017 (the publication date of Creighton's article and video) and August 21, 2017 (the publication date of Jones's video). (Id. ¶¶ 37–144). Gilmore alleges that these publications falsely portray him as "a ‘Deep State operative’ who helped orchestrate the violence in Charlottesville." (Id. ¶ 150).

After Defen...