Call to Action: Help James Edwards Seek Justice
On April 18, 2016, I filed a lawsuit against The Detroit News, Inc., and one of its journalists – Bankole Thompson – in which I allege that they defamed me by falsely stating as a fact that I am a leader of the Ku Klux Klan.
In Mr. Thompson’s article – “Thompson: Jewish leaders fear Trump presidency” – published by the defendants in their newspaper and on their website on March 17, 2016, it was stated, “Of particular note to some in the Jewish community is the unprecedented support the Trump campaign has received among white supremacist groups like the Ku Klux Klan and its leaders like James Edwards, David Duke and Thomas Robb, the national director of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in Arkansas.”
I am not now, nor have I ever been, affiliated with – much less a leader of – the Ku Klux Klan, and the defendants did not engage in any due diligence whatsoever prior to publishing this derogatory misstatement of fact about me: they did not contact me to verify its accuracy and they clearly did not get the false information from a third-party source insofar as no person or organization has ever alleged that I am part of the Ku Klux Klan.
The civil action is entitled James Edwards v. The Detroit News, Inc., and is Case Number 16-004874-NO at the State of Michigan’s Third Judicial Circuit Court, which is located in Detroit, Michigan. I have requested a trial by jury, and I am represented by Super Lawyers’ “2016 Michigan Rising Star” Attorney Kyle Bristow of Bristow Law, PLLC; the defendants are represented by the lawyers of Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn, LLP.
On May 18, 2016, the defendants filed a motion for summary judgment, which argues in part that my case should be dismissed because it is legally impossible to defame me because the Southern Poverty Law Center and Anti-Defamation League have written horribly untrue things about me and my work as an advocate for European Americans.
Is it not troubling that it is being argued that a staunchly conservative, law-abiding American citizen being targeted by the SPLC and ADL renders one an outlaw for whom the law provides no protection?
My attorney filed an excellent response to the defendants’ motion; the hearing for the defendants’ motion is scheduled to be heard later this month.
I am in for a long fight to safeguard my dignity and rights, and this has come to a great cost — both financial and emotional — to my family and me. There are costs inherent with litigation — such as filing fees, travel expenses, expert witness fees, subpoena fees, and office-related expenses — that I must pay.
Will you please consider donating to help my family and me? A check or money order made out to “The Political Cesspool” and mailed to The Political Cesspool Radio Program, P.O. Box 34336, Bartlett, TN 38184, would really help me out. Donations via credit card online can be made at http://www.thepoliticalcesspool.org/donate/
Most Sincerely,
James Edwards
P.S. – In the spirit of honesty and openness I have uploaded two pertinent court filings onto Scribd for you to read. You can use the hyperlinks to view them in a larger font. The first filing is the Detroit News’ Motion for Summary Disposition. The second filing is my Motion for Summary Disposition Response. Both documents also include my original complaint (Exhibit A).
Detroit News’ Motion for Summary Disposition
James Edwards’ Response to Motion for Summary Judgment
The link below will take you to an article that has been written about the matter.
Courthouse News Service: Radio Host Sues Newspaper Over Link to KKK
Comments are closed.