Judge rules Dominion defamation case against Trump allies can proceed

Washington — A federal judge cleared the way Wednesday for a defamation case by Dominion Voting Systems to proceed against Sidney Powell, Rudy Giuliani and Mike Lindell, allies of former President Donald Trump who had all falsely accused the company of rigging the 2020 presidential election.

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols ruled that there was no blanket protection on political speech and denied an argument from two of the defendants that the federal court in Washington wasn't the proper venue for the case. "As an initial matter, there is no blanket immunity for statements that are 'political' in nature," the judge wrote in the 44-page ruling.