Michael Flynn’s Family Files $75 Million Defamation Suit Against CNN Over Segment Claiming They Support QAnon
George Frey/Getty Images
Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn’s brother and his wife are suing CNN, claiming the network falsely labeled them as supporters of the QAnon movement.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday in the Southern District of New York by Jack Flynn and his wife, Leslie, took issue with a Feb. 4 segment on the network that included footage of a July 4 family outing. The footage showed the couple joining Michael Flynn in reciting an oath that included the words, “where we go one, we go all.” The phrase is synonymous with the conspiratorial QAnon movement, but the Flynns contend it represented an oath to the United States Constitution.
“CNN falsely accused Plaintiffs,” the suit contends, “of being ‘followers’ and supporters of the ‘dangerous,’ ‘violent,’ ‘racist,’ ‘extremist,’ ‘insurrectionist,’ ‘domestic terrorism’ movement – QAnon.” After naming CNN reporter Donie O’Sullivan, the suit described the incident in question:
In support of O’Sullivan’s comment, CNN produced an edited clip from a video posted to Twitter by General Flynn on July 4, 2020. The video was taken during a Fourth of July barbecue at Plaintiffs’ home in Newport County, Rhode Island. In the video, members of the Flynn family, including plaintiffs, took an oath to the United States Constitution, the same oath taken by members of Congress. After finishing the oath, General Flynn stated, “where we go one, we go all” and the entire family exclaimed, “God Bless America.”
In the years leading up to the 2020 election, supporters of the QAnon movement adhered to a belief that someone in the federal government known as “Q” relayed messages to them through online message boards about President Donald Trump’s intentions. The movement led to theories including one that Trump would order Vice President Mike Pence’s January arrest in order to overturn the election.
The Flynns claimed in their suit that they never supported the group, and appeared to imply they agreed with the assessment that it was an “extremist” or “terrorist” group. They also said the network brought “scorn” and “ridicule” to the family:
Plaintiffs are not followers or supporters of any extremist or terrorist groups, including QAnon. CNN falsely attributed to Plaintiffs associations that never existed, actions Plaintiffs never took, including an oath of allegiance to QAnon, and views Plaintiffs never held.
CNN’s false attributions exposed Plaintiffs to public scorn, ridicule and contempt, and lowered their esteem in the community, causing insult, embarrassment, humiliation and substantial injury to Plaintiffs’ reputations.
They’re asking the network to fork over $75 million.
