Judge refuses to grant Sarah Palin a new trial in her libel suit against New York Times [View all]

Source: Politico/AP

12/15/2025 10:16 PM EST


NEW YORK — Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s bid for a new libel trial against The New York Times was rejected Monday by a New York federal judge who also refused Palin’s request that the judge recuse himself.

Judge Jed S. Rakoff said in a written opinion that he was “scrupulous” in affording Palin a fair trial last April, when a jury concluded that the Times did not libel the former Alaska governor in a 2017 editorial.

It was the second jury to reach that conclusion after the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan ordered a new trial after Rakoff in February 2022 said while the jury in the first trial was deliberating that he planned to dismiss the lawsuit because Palin had failed to show that the newspaper had acted out of malice.

Regarding the request to recuse himself, the judge said the trial transcript shows he frequently ruled in Palin’s favor during the trials. Danielle Rhoades Ha, a spokesperson for the newspaper, said in an email that the Times was pleased with the decision. “The jury reached the right verdict in rejecting Palin’s libel claim, and today’s decision reaffirms the jury’s decision,” she said. Lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/15/judge-refuses-to-grant-sarah-palin-a-new-trial-in-her-libel-lawsuit-against-the-new-york-times-00692352