A U.S. appeals court has ruled that Giorgi Rtskhiladze, a Georgian-American businessman, can proceed with his defamation lawsuit against former Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
The ruling, issued on Friday, allows Rtskhiladze’s case to move forward despite Mueller’s office concluding its investigation in 2019.
Rtskhiladze’s lawsuit stems from a footnote in Volume II of Mueller’s report on the investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 Presidential Election.
The footnote references a text message between Rtskhiladze and Michael Cohen, former attorney for Donald Trump, which Rtskhiladze contends falsely implies he obstructed access to compromising tapes related to Trump.
The businessman asserts that these tapes were fabricated, and he was misrepresented in the report.
The appeals court found that Rtskhiladze demonstrated sufficient grounds to claim reputational damage, allowing him to pursue damages for both pre- and post-report publication harms.
The three-judge panel agreed with the district court’s determination of Rtskhiladze’s standing but extended the scope to include alleged damages incurred after the report’s release.
Mueller’s investigation, which concluded in 2019, examined possible obstruction of justice by members of Trump’s inner circle. Rtskhiladze’s legal action challenges the accuracy of Mueller’s findings, particularly concerning his own role.
In 2020, Rtskhiladze published a book recounting his experiences, including his 2018 testimony before a federal grand jury, and he continues to deny the existence of any such tapes.
The case reflects ongoing scrutiny of the Special Counsel’s investigation and the broader implications of its findings on individuals named in the report.
The legal battle will now address the extent of the alleged defamation and its impact on Rtskhiladze’s reputation.
