Former DOGE Staffer Justin Fulcher Files Libel Suit Against The Guardian Over Pentagon Leak Story
Justin Fulcher, a former DOGE staffer and ex-advisor to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has filed a defamation lawsuit against The Guardian in federal court in Washington, D.C. The suit targets a June 9, 2025 Guardian article alleging Fulcher misled Pentagon officials with false claims about NSA wiretap evidence during a leak investigation. Fulcher denies making any such claims and argues The Guardian acted with reckless disregard for the truth by relying solely on four unnamed sources.
Justin Fulcher filed a libel complaint against Guardian News & Media LLC in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, challenging a June 9, 2025 article that alleged he 'upended' a Pentagon leak investigation by falsely claiming to possess NSA wiretap evidence identifying leakers. The Guardian's article, based on four anonymous sources, reported that Fulcher approached Hegseth's then-chief of staff Joe Kasper and personal lawyer Tim Parlatore offering to help run the investigation in exchange for sharing supposed NSA intercept evidence, which officials later determined did not exist. Fulcher's complaint categorically denies that he made any such representations to Kasper, Parlatore, or anyone else, and denies seeking any role in the leak investigation. The complaint also argues that The Guardian should have recognized the claims as implausible because NSA is legally prohibited from intentionally targeting U.S. citizens or persons known to be located within the United States under 50 U.S.C. § 1881a. Fulcher alleges the false reporting damaged his reputation and that the outlet acted with at least reckless disregard for the truth by not adequately verifying the anonymous accounts before publication.
What's missing
The complaint does not detail what relationship, if any, Fulcher had with the three Pentagon aides fired by Hegseth, nor does it address the broader leak investigation that The Guardian had previously reported on. The Guardian's response to the lawsuit and any corroborating or contradicting evidence from named parties such as Kasper or Parlatore has not yet been made public.
How coverage differed
The story was reported by Reason, a libertarian-leaning outlet, which framed the lawsuit neutrally as plaintiff's allegations while noting the legal context around NSA surveillance law. The Guardian's original reporting, which prompted the suit, relied exclusively on unnamed sources and has not yet publicly responded to the complaint, leaving the framing of the underlying facts largely one-sided at this stage.
What different sources said
- ReasonRight
Ex-DOGE Staffer, Ex-Pete-Hegseth Advisor Justin Fulcher Sues the Guardian for Libel
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