Tony Bobulinski, a former associate of Hunter Biden, has recently filed a $30 million defamation lawsuit against Fox News host Jessica Tarlov. The lawsuit stems from comments made by Tarlov about Bobulinski’s legal fees, which she corrected a day later. The case, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleges that Tarlov lied when she initially claimed that Bobulinski’s legal fees were paid by a Trump super PAC. This claim was made during a discussion on Fox News’s ‘The Five’ after Bobulinski testified before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee for its impeachment inquiry into President Biden.
Upon receiving a letter from Bobulinski’s attorney requesting a retraction and apology, Tarlov clarified her previous remarks on air. She stated that the law firm representing Bobulinski was paid by a Trump PAC, but she saw no indication that these payments were connected to Bobulinski’s legal fees, a claim that Bobulinski denies.
Despite Tarlov’s clarification, Bobulinski’s legal team argues that her initial comment was made to ‘achieve media headlines and ratings’ and ‘deliberately besmirched’ the character of Bobulinski and his attorney, Stefan Passantino. They further allege that it was an attempt to discredit Bobulinski’s earlier testimony before the Oversight Committee. The lawyers argue that Tarlov did not make a ‘complete retraction and apology’ during her on-air clarification, calling it ‘half-hearted, incomplete and unacceptable’.
Bobulinski, who briefly worked with Hunter Biden on a deal that was never completed, has been a key GOP witness. He connected the president to his son’s business, claiming the president was the ‘big guy’ referred to in emails between himself and Hunter Biden regarding the distribution of money from a deal with a Chinese company. Bobulinski later aligned with allies of former President Trump; Passantino is a former White House lawyer who represented numerous Trump White House aides before the House Jan. 6 committee.
In 2022, law firms connected to Passantino received more than $1 million from Trump-connected PACs. However, Bobulinski’s lawyers note in the suit that ‘no third parties have ever paid for any portion of Mr. Passantino’s representation of Mr. Bobulinski.’
Bobulinski’s legal team is asking for $30 million in damages, arguing that Tarlov sought to ‘defame and undermine’ his character. This case serves as a stark reminder of the legal consequences that can arise from public statements and the importance of responsible financial citizenship.