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In his decision, U.S. District Judge Paul Oetken wrote that the larger context of the council's article and difficulty of proving or disproving their claim led him to conclude that "statements that Adelson's money is
'dirty' or 'tainted' constitute constitutionally protected opinion." He also ordered Adelson to pay the council's legal fees. "It was a great day for the First Amendment," said Marc Stanley, chairman of the council. "I think it sends a message that no matter much money you have, you can't bully people into suppressing free speech." L. Lin Wood, a lawyer for Adelson, said the decision denied his client the "basic right of trial by jury." "The statement by the National Jewish Democratic Council at issue in this case remains a boldfaced lie," he said in a statement. Adelson's legal team is expected to appeal the ruling. "When you have unlimited money, you can do whatever you want to do," Stanley said.
[Associated
Press;
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