Flashcards Studio

A city mayor was running for reelection. A local political blogger published a post titled "Mayor Took Contractor Bribes." The post stated, "The mayor secretly accepted $20,000 from a bridge contractor last March in exchange for awarding the bridge repair contract." The blogger relied on an anonymous email from a person who refused to provide documents. Before publishing, the blogger received public campaign-finance records showing that the contractor had made no payment to the mayor or the mayor's campaign, and a city procurement record showing that a committee, not the mayor, awarded the contract. The blogger did not mention those records.
The accusation was false. The mayor lost several endorsements and sues the blogger for defamation. The blogger argues that the post was political opinion and that public officials must tolerate harsh criticism.
Analyze the mayor's defamation claim and the blogger's defenses.