ATLANTA, GA - Several reports have confirmed that a defamation lawsuit against NBCUniversal is on its way to trial after a Georgia judge ruled that MSNBC hosts including Rachel Maddow and Nicolle Wallace as well as other journalists reported "verifiably false" claims about a doctor they said performed unnecessary hysterectomies at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) center.
According to Fox News, Plaintiff Dr. Mahendra Amin, an obstetrician gynecologist who provided medical care to women detained at the Irwim County Detention Center, was accused in 2020 of performing unnecessary hysterectomies by a nurse at the facility who made the whistleblower complaint.
The New York Post reported that MSNBC and NBC journalists are accused of reporting 39 false claims about Dr. Amin, the man they called the "uterus collector" based on the whistleblower account from the nurse identified as Dawn Wooten who also worked at the facility. NBC reporters Jacob Soboroff and Julia Ainsley worked to verify the whistleblower's claims and eventually published an article despite initial skepticism from the network's standards department.
Immediately after, MSNBC followed with a series of on-air reports in which the doctor was often referred as the "uterus collector." However, the whistleblower's claims were never proved to be true. On June 26th, in a 108-page summary, Judge Lisa Godbey Wood of the Southern District of Georgia wrote, "NBC investigated the whistleblower letter's accusations; that investigation did not corroborate the accusations and even undermined some; NBC republished the letter's accusations anyway."
According to the court document, Wallace, who identified Dr. Amin by name, made "multiple statements" that were defamatory when she was the first MSNBC host to discuss the story on-air. Wallace told "Deadline: White House" viewers, "We are following breaking news today. It's about an alarming new whistleblower complaint that alleges, quote, high numbers of female detainees, detained immigrants, at an ICE detention center in Georgia received questionable hysterectomies while in ICE custody."
The court documents show that Amin "performed only two hysterectomies on women detained at the facility." The same evening that Wallace went on-air, "All In With Chris Hayes" featured an interview with the whistleblower. Hayes' MSNBC program also spoke with a lawyer who claimed that as many as 15 illegal immigrant women were given full or partial hysterectomies or other procedures for which no medical indication existed.
Maddow amplified the whistleblower claims by passionately covering them on "The Rachel Maddow Show." Maddow is MSNBC's biggest star, reportedly earning $30 million per year despite only hosting her program once a week. Dr. Amin, who worked at the detention center for three and a half years and reportedly performed only two hysterectomies during that time, is seeking $30 million.
According to the court documents, Maddow "initially questioned" the reports and "jumping to conclusions," but still covered the story on her weekly show. At the time, an NBC standards deputy said that the department reviewed and approved reports even though the nurse provided "no evidence to back up her claims."
The standards deputy, Christopher Scholl, was unsure whether to publish an NBCNews.com article. Scholl said in an email, "She [the whistleblower] has no direct knowledge of what she's claiming, is unable to name the doctor involved (if I understood correctly), and we are unable to verify any of it or determine whether there really is a store here. Essentially, it boils down to a single source — with an agenda — telling us things we have no basis to believe are true."
According to court documents, Soboroff and Ainsley, the reporters who wrote the story, shared concerns. Soboroff texted Ainsley in September, saying it doesn't "sound like they have much beyond the complaint." Ainsley reportedly replied, "Only two hysterectomies?" Court documents showed that an attorney for one of the ICE detainees told reporters that their client's hysterectomy was necessary due to her cancer diagnosis.
Even so, the reporters published their story titled, "Lawyers allege abuse of migrant women by gynecologist for Georgia ICE detention center" the very next day. As the case now heads to trial, the most difficult task for Amin's lawyer, Scott Grubman, will be providing that the NBC journalists had malicious intent.
Grubman said, "Dr. Amin is a beloved physician who has treated his patients with the utmost care and compassion for decades. An immigrant himself, the allegation that he would take advantage of ICE detainees is ludicrous."
According to Fox News, Plaintiff Dr. Mahendra Amin, an obstetrician gynecologist who provided medical care to women detained at the Irwim County Detention Center, was accused in 2020 of performing unnecessary hysterectomies by a nurse at the facility who made the whistleblower complaint.
The New York Post reported that MSNBC and NBC journalists are accused of reporting 39 false claims about Dr. Amin, the man they called the "uterus collector" based on the whistleblower account from the nurse identified as Dawn Wooten who also worked at the facility. NBC reporters Jacob Soboroff and Julia Ainsley worked to verify the whistleblower's claims and eventually published an article despite initial skepticism from the network's standards department.
Immediately after, MSNBC followed with a series of on-air reports in which the doctor was often referred as the "uterus collector." However, the whistleblower's claims were never proved to be true. On June 26th, in a 108-page summary, Judge Lisa Godbey Wood of the Southern District of Georgia wrote, "NBC investigated the whistleblower letter's accusations; that investigation did not corroborate the accusations and even undermined some; NBC republished the letter's accusations anyway."
According to the court document, Wallace, who identified Dr. Amin by name, made "multiple statements" that were defamatory when she was the first MSNBC host to discuss the story on-air. Wallace told "Deadline: White House" viewers, "We are following breaking news today. It's about an alarming new whistleblower complaint that alleges, quote, high numbers of female detainees, detained immigrants, at an ICE detention center in Georgia received questionable hysterectomies while in ICE custody."
The court documents show that Amin "performed only two hysterectomies on women detained at the facility." The same evening that Wallace went on-air, "All In With Chris Hayes" featured an interview with the whistleblower. Hayes' MSNBC program also spoke with a lawyer who claimed that as many as 15 illegal immigrant women were given full or partial hysterectomies or other procedures for which no medical indication existed.
Maddow amplified the whistleblower claims by passionately covering them on "The Rachel Maddow Show." Maddow is MSNBC's biggest star, reportedly earning $30 million per year despite only hosting her program once a week. Dr. Amin, who worked at the detention center for three and a half years and reportedly performed only two hysterectomies during that time, is seeking $30 million.
According to the court documents, Maddow "initially questioned" the reports and "jumping to conclusions," but still covered the story on her weekly show. At the time, an NBC standards deputy said that the department reviewed and approved reports even though the nurse provided "no evidence to back up her claims."
The standards deputy, Christopher Scholl, was unsure whether to publish an NBCNews.com article. Scholl said in an email, "She [the whistleblower] has no direct knowledge of what she's claiming, is unable to name the doctor involved (if I understood correctly), and we are unable to verify any of it or determine whether there really is a store here. Essentially, it boils down to a single source — with an agenda — telling us things we have no basis to believe are true."
According to court documents, Soboroff and Ainsley, the reporters who wrote the story, shared concerns. Soboroff texted Ainsley in September, saying it doesn't "sound like they have much beyond the complaint." Ainsley reportedly replied, "Only two hysterectomies?" Court documents showed that an attorney for one of the ICE detainees told reporters that their client's hysterectomy was necessary due to her cancer diagnosis.
Even so, the reporters published their story titled, "Lawyers allege abuse of migrant women by gynecologist for Georgia ICE detention center" the very next day. As the case now heads to trial, the most difficult task for Amin's lawyer, Scott Grubman, will be providing that the NBC journalists had malicious intent.
Grubman said, "Dr. Amin is a beloved physician who has treated his patients with the utmost care and compassion for decades. An immigrant himself, the allegation that he would take advantage of ICE detainees is ludicrous."
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Comments
2024-07-16T08:01-0400 | Comment by: Paul
Only one question. What is the political affiliation of the whistle blower?
2024-07-16T20:04-0400 | Comment by: Carlton
That's what liars do.
2024-07-16T20:14-0400 | Comment by: Carlton
Then he said " I meant to say cross hairs .