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Tulsi Gabbard Sues Hillary Clinton Over ‘Russian Asset’ Comments

Representative Tulsi Gabbard has sued Clinton for more than $50 million for defamation.

Tulsi Gabbard Sues Hillary Clinton Over ‘Russian Asset’ Comments
Representative Tulsi Gabbard, a Democrat from Hawaii and 2020 presidential candidate, speaks during the Second Step Presidential Justice Forum at Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. (Photographer: Logan Cyrus/Bloomberg)

(Bloomberg) -- Bernie Sanders is not the only Democratic presidential candidate feuding with Hillary Clinton right now.

Representative Tulsi Gabbard has sued Clinton for more than $50 million for defamation over an interview in which Clinton said one of the Democratic candidates was “a Russian asset” and “the favorite of the Russians.” Gabbard has said Clinton was referring to her.

In a lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court Wednesday, Gabbard claims Clinton’s statements in an Oct. 17 appearance on the “Campaign HQ With David Plouffe” podcast were false and malicious and that they were “accepted as true by millions of Americans, including large numbers of voters in battleground presidential primary states.”

In the interview, Clinton did not say which Democratic candidate she meant.

Gabbard, who is currently ranked 10th out of 11 Democrats in the Real Clear Politics average of national polls, is seeking $50 million in actual damages plus punitive damages.

This post is part of Campaign Update, our live coverage from the 2020 campaign trail.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Wendy Benjaminson at wbenjaminson@bloomberg.net, Max Berley

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