MSNBC agrees to pay $30 million to settle a defamation lawsuit over false accusations against a gynecologist at an ICE detention center.
At a Glance
- NBCUniversal settles $30 million defamation lawsuit with Dr. Mahendra Amin
- Dr. Amin was falsely labeled a “uterus collector” on MSNBC shows
- Accusations originated from an unverified whistleblower complaint
- Judge ruled MSNBC made “verifiably false” statements about Dr. Amin
- Settlement allows NBCUniversal to avoid April jury trial
The Defamation Case
NBCUniversal has agreed to settle a $30 million defamation lawsuit filed by Dr. Mahendra Amin, a gynecologist who worked at a Georgia Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility. The lawsuit stemmed from accusations made on several MSNBC shows, including The Rachel Maddow Show, where Dr. Amin was falsely labeled a “uterus collector” and accused of performing unnecessary hysterectomies on migrant women.
The accusations against Dr. Amin originated from a whistleblower complaint by nurse Dawn Wooten. However, the complaint did not directly name Dr. Amin. Despite this, MSNBC identified him in several on-air reports, even after their Standards department initially expressed hesitation about doing so.
MSNBC’s False Statements
Dr. Amin’s lawsuit cited numerous false statements made across multiple MSNBC programs. The lawsuit specifically mentioned 10 false statements on The Rachel Maddow Show, seven on All In with Chris Hayes, and six on Deadline: White House. A judge ruled that MSNBC had indeed made “verifiably false” statements about Dr. Amin, including the inflammatory “uterus collector” label.
Contrary to the accusations, Dr. Amin claimed he had performed only two hysterectomies at the ICE facility, both of which were approved by ICE.
NBCUniversal’s Response
NBCUniversal’s own investigation failed to corroborate the whistleblower’s accusations against Dr. Amin. Despite this lack of evidence, the network chose to republish the unverified claims. This decision ultimately led to the defamation lawsuit and the subsequent $30 million settlement.
The settlement allows NBCUniversal to avoid a jury trial that was scheduled for April.
