If it's true, it's not libel.
It matters not how much lawyers may rant or politicians may deny, if the information as published is true and provably true, it's not libel. Therefore, the best defense against a charge of libel is truth.
When a newspaper prints information about tax fraud, for example, and includes documentation supporting the allegations, politicians and their lawyers can complain all they like about "fake news" and "failing" newspapers.
When the story is backed by fact and evidence, any threat of a lawsuit can be answered with this: "Bring it on, counselor!"
That means the aggrieved person will face deposition and testimony under oath, by subpoena if need be, and subject to the penalties of perjury.
It's one thing to brag, bend the truth, exaggerate and even lie during interviews and public appearances, but judges and prosecutors do not take kindly to liars, especially when civil or criminal charges are strongly supported by "true facts," as lawyers call them.
False facts or even "alternative facts" are of little use in a courtroom. So a politician or any other public figure can deny until daybreak allegations of impropriety, wrongdoing or outright fraud, and the news media will report that too.
In fact, the longer and stronger the denials, the more exposure they get.
If a politician denies the allegations and attacks the allegater every day for a week, that's another seven days that the story sees print and gathers air time. Shrewd public relations advisors often tell their clients to ignore a story they don't like -- true or not -- and soon enough the story will go away as the news media chase other stories.
Journalists run the story as well as the denial. But each time the subject denies the allegation, news media report that, too.
Each and every time, especially when more details are uncovered to support the original allegation.
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