Consortium News听sued the Canadian TV network Global News for defamation in federal court in Virginia over a report saying CN听was part of an 鈥渁ttack鈥� and a cyber influence campaign directed by Moscow against a Canadian leader.
The lawsuit听accused the Corus Entertainment-owned network of entering into a business conspiracy with the Canadian Communications Security Establishment (CSE) to 鈥淟ink 鈥� critics of Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland to Russia as a way of discrediting those critics and protecting themselves.鈥�
The suit said:听鈥淕lobal received the storyline from CSE and then consciously regurgitated the preconceived narrative that it knew to be false. In its quest to paint听Plaintiff as a听鈥楻ussian collaborator,鈥� Global abandoned journalistic integrity and ethics, misrepresented the content of CN鈥檚 articles and applied false labels to Plaintiff.鈥�
In January,听Consortium News听sent libel notices to both Global News and the CSE, demanding an apology and retraction of any mention of听CN听in Global News鈥� Dec. 10, 2019 online article and video reports.
The CSE did not respond to the notice. Global News refused to retract all mention of听CN听from the article or to apologize.
Global News did not contact听Consortium News听for comment before it published its听article听and broadcasted two TV reports. Instead, two months after the Global News reports appeared 鈥� and after receiving the libel notice, Global News attached an editor鈥檚 note to its article听which is still online.
The article stated:
鈥淓ditor鈥檚 Note 鈥� Subsequent to the publication of this article, Consortium News advised Global News it disputes statements about it referred to in the CSE document that are reported on in the article. Consortium News has told Global News it denies any implication it is 鈥淎n organ of or directed by the Russian government and says it is an independent news source.鈥�
CN听informed Global News that the editor鈥檚 note coming after publication was insufficient and insisted that without a retraction and apology it would pursue litigation.
Citing case law, the suit filed on Tuesday stated 鈥淎 clear evasion from the truth and the failure to interview an important witness, who was easily accessible, supports a finding of actual malice.鈥�
The Global News Reports
The lawsuit said: 鈥淭he focal point of Global鈥檚 accusations was an article published in February 2017 in Virginia by Plaintiff and false accusations that Plaintiff 鈥� a Virginia corporation 鈥� is linked to Russia and knowingly published Russian propaganda to harm the reputation of Freeland.鈥�
Based on exclusive receipt of a CSE secret document, Global News鈥� website said in its Dec. 10, 2019 article听entitled, 鈥溾�楥anadian eyes only鈥� intelligence reports say Canadian leaders attacked in cyber campaigns,鈥� that听Consortium News听led this campaign. 鈥淭he first attack was a February 2017 report in the 鈥榦nline Consortium News鈥� followed 鈥榠n quick succession鈥� by pro-Russian English language and Russian-language online media, the CSE report says,鈥� according to Global News.
A caption on the Global News site under a screenshot of the Feb. 27, 2017听Consortium News听article read: 鈥淎 CSE report says Consortium News was part of an attack from Russia on Chrystia Freeland鈥檚 reputation.鈥� Freeland was the then Canadian foreign minister before becoming deputy prime minister in 2019.
Global News鈥� website, quoting from the CSE report, said:
鈥淎 small number of nation states are involved in cyber campaigns against Western democracy, but the national security assessment warns the threat and range of actors involved are growing. And the tactics used by Canada鈥檚 adversaries include 鈥榟uman intelligence operations,鈥� online and cyber influence campaigns and the use of state-sponsored or influenced media.鈥�
Part of the CSE report, classified 鈥淪ECRET CEO,鈥� CEO meaning Canadian Eyes Only, was published by Global News.
Titled, 鈥淐yber Influence Events against Canadian Politicians,鈥� the report said:
鈥淚n early 2017 and Spring 2018, sources linked to Russia popularized MFA Freeland鈥檚 family history, very likely intended to cause personal reputational damage in order to discredit the Government of Canada鈥檚 ongoing diplomatic and military support for Ukraine, to delegitimize Canada鈥檚 decision to enact the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Offices Act and the 2018 expulsion of several Russian diplomats.鈥�
The act referred to is Canada鈥檚 version of the controversial Magnitsky Act passed by the U.S. Congress. The lawsuit disputes that听Consortium News听is a 鈥渟ource linked to Russia鈥� and that it was 鈥渄irected鈥� by Russia.
Global News鈥� website reported:
鈥淭he attacks on Freeland, who is now deputy prime minister, were partly meant to combat her support of laws targeting corrupt Russian oligarchs and leaders, the CSE records said and included allegations that her Ukrainian grandfather had edited a newspaper with ties to Nazis.
The cyber-campaign directed by Russia involved distortions of facts and was timed, targeted and according to the CSE, "Pushed the narrative to suggest that Freeland鈥檚 family immigrated to Canada as part of a wave of Nazi-collaborators."
The first attack was a February 2017 report in the 鈥榦nline Consortium News鈥� followed 鈥榠n quick succession鈥� by pro-Russian English language and Russian-language online media, the CSE report said.
The CSE records obtained by Global News appear to document for the first-time direct allegations from Canada鈥檚 government that Russia directed these cyber campaigns.鈥�
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