A federal judge has dismissed on procedural grounds a $25-million dollar defamation lawsuit against Alec Baldwin filed by the family of a Wyoming Marine who was killed in Afghanistan
The judge ruled the Wyoming court has no jurisdiction in the suit by the sisters and widow of Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum. An attorney for the McCollums says the lawsuit will probably be refiled in New York or California.
Baldwin had sent the family $5,000 after McCollum and 12 other service members were killed in a suicide bombing at the Kabul airport during the evacuation from Afghanistan, but drew their ire after the Jan 6 Capitol attack.
One of McCollum’s sisters, Roice McCollum, attended the rally that preceded the attack and posted a photo from there on social media.
Baldwin responded privately, saying he gave the money out of respect for her brother’s service to the country, but that he didn’t know she was a Jan 6th rioter. He then posted the picture along with strong comments about those involved with Jan 6.
Roice McCollum says she never entered the Capitol and was interviewed and cleared of any wrongdoing by the FBI.
The lawsuit claims Baldwin’s actions subjected the whole McCollum family to online harassment and seeks $25-million dollars in damages.