Judge rules Dominion case can proceed against Trump allies

By GARY FIELDS and MICHAEL BALSAMO
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has cleared the way for a defamation case by Dominion Voting Systems to proceed against Sidney Powell, Rudy Giuliani and Mike Lindell, allies of former President Donald Trump who had all falsely accused the company of rigging the 2020 presidential election. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols handed down a ruling Wednesday that found there was no blanket protection on political speech. He also denied an argument from two of the defendants that the federal court in Washington wasn’t the proper venue for the case. The ruling came just a day after the vote-counting machine maker filed defamation lawsuits against right-wing broadcasters and another Trump ally.