from the stupid-is-as-stupid-does dept

It’s hardly shocking that somebody who makes a dwelling trafficking in issues aside from information would have hassle recognizing information once they’re utilized to him. That’s the case right here with Philip Godlewski — a self-proclaimed “patriot reporter” and QAnon conspiracy theorist. (h/t Volokh Conspiracy)

In accordance with claims made in court docket, Godlewski is “one of many highest Anons” (drug reference inferred even when not meant to be implied) and supposedly earns $5 million a month along with his QAnon-related “broadcasts” on social media.

Godlewski is litigiously upset Chris Kelly of the Scranton Instances precisely portrayed him as (1) a intercourse offender, (2) an individual specializing in main individuals down “rabbit holes,” and (3) a supporter of the January 6 rebel try.

The “highest Anon”/”patriot broadcaster” made a number of claims in lawsuit, none of them both plausible or actionable. He takes problem with the intercourse offender label, insists the half concerning the “rabbit holes” one way or the other broken his sideline as an actual property agent, and insists he didn’t take part within the January 6 rebel.

The court docket isn’t impressed in any respect with this lawsuit, one thing made instantly clear by its evaluation of Godlewski within the ruling’s [PDF] opening paragraphs, which notes it’s a bit wealthy for somebody crying libel about intercourse offender statements to be doing the type of factor he does each day (to the tune of $5M/month [allegedly]):

The ironic gist of the opinion column at problem was that the QAnon broadcaster, who affirmatively states in his printed movies on social media that sure high-ranking elected and public officers are satanic, cannibalistic pedophiles sexually abusing youngsters and ingesting their blood to ingest the life-extending chemical adrenochrome, beforehand pled responsible on this county to corruption of a minor ensuing from a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old lady whereas he was a 27-year-old baseball coach at her faculty….

And that’s how circumstances like these go. Individuals who be at liberty to libel people, together with total teams of individuals, are the primary to start out screaming “defamation” the second these ways are utilized to them or the individuals they help.

But it surely gained’t work right here. For one factor, Godlewski’s assertion that the Scranton Instances’ declare he had a “sexual relationship with a 15-year-old” is fake is one thing instantly undercut not solely by public data, however by his personal responsible plea to a misdemeanor cost. (The latter of which was famous within the article, which identified he by no means “had intercourse” with the lady and had “pled to a misdemeanor.”)

Right here’s the court docket once more:

As famous above, the one textual content messages quoted within the Affidavit of Possible Trigger in Godlewski I are these by which Godlewski acknowledged and described oral intercourse with Ms. DuBorgel, the presence of her hair in his “crotch space,” and his sexual exercise along with her in 2010 when she was 15 years of age. These textual content messages served because the factual predicate for the only rely of Corruption of Minors, 18 Pa. C.S. § 6301(a)(1), contained within the Felony Data charging that Godlewski “did repeatedly have inappropriate textual content [m]essages and speak to with a minor” in 2010. Certainly, Godlewski’s counsel conceded on the time of oral argument that “[t]he corruption of minors rely within the criticism was per the knowledge within the affidavit.”

In his responsible plea colloquy in Godlewski I, Godlewski admitted that his executed colloquy was a “signed assertion,” that he “kn[e]w precisely what you’re charged with and what you’re pleading to,” that he understood “that by pleading responsible you’re admitting that you simply did the issues you’re charged with,” that he understood “the weather of the crime charged that you’re pleading to,” and that he “admit[ted] that you simply did the above said act” constituting corruption of a minor.

Meaning the stuff about his sexual exercise with a minor wasn’t libel. It was simply the reality — one thing QAnon acolytes usually are inclined to have hassle seeing, a lot much less acknowledging.

The identical goes for the “rabbit holes.” At problem right here was an illustration accompanying the Scranton Instances article, which depicted an actual property signal studying “RABBIT HOLE FOR SALE!” beneath the phrases “UN-REALTOR.” Godlewski claimed this besmirched his actual property sideline by presenting him as an unscrupulous actual property agent.

The court docket, once more, disagrees. It factors out “rabbit gap” has been used on this context for years by any variety of individuals to recommend being sucked into conspiracy theories. The reference added (UN-REALTOR) was not meant to query his means to promote actual property, however moderately to make use of Godlewski’s profession as an extra punchline to punctuate his obsession with a protracted checklist of conspiracy theories he espoused on his broadcast, starting from denying the United 93 crash ever occurred to claiming California Governor Newsom had “killed himself” and had been changed by a “clone.”

Lastly, the court docket not directly tells Godlewski he ought to in all probability truly learn the article he’s suing over. The paper by no means stated he participated within the January 6 raid on the Capitol. The truth is, it unambiguously presents Godlewski’s personal statements, by which he denies having attended whereas additionally noting that he falsely claimed hours after the raid that Vice President Mike Pence had been arrested.

It’s a whole shutout. Godlewski loses on each rely. If he wasn’t a QAnon fanatic, he may need acknowledged information for what they’re. However he’s so deep in his personal bullshit, he can’t acknowledge the reality when it’s being mirrored again at him by an area journalist. Sadly, it doesn’t seem Godlewski might want to pay the paper’s authorized charges for losing its time with a lawsuit that was a loser the second this “patriot broadcaster” brain-farted it into existence. And that’s the issue. With out strong anti-SLAPP laws, persons are compelled to interact with silly litigants who’re given each alternative to pull harmless defendants right down to their stage and in hopes of beating them with their expertise.

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