Former Trump campaign co-manager Chris LaCivita and the Republican National Committee (RNC) are gearing up for a potential defamation lawsuit against The Daily Beast. The impending legal action stems from an October 2024 article published by the news outlet, which reported on LaCivita's compensation during the Trump campaign. The RNC and LaCivita contend that the article misrepresented the amount paid and implied that LaCivita personally profited, rather than the funds being used for campaign expenses like advertising.

According to initial reports from Axios, and later confirmed by Fox News Digital, lawyers representing the RNC and LaCivita have sent three letters to The Daily Beast demanding retractions. The Daily Beast, while acknowledging an initial error in reporting the total amount as $22 million instead of $19.2 million, maintains that the core of their reporting is accurate. They issued an editor's note correcting the figure but stand by their assertion that LaCivita's LLC received the funds from the Trump campaign, RNC, and associated Super PACs.

The first letter from the law firm Geragos & Geragos, dated November 5, 2024, argued that The Daily Beast's reporting, including subsequent articles, contained "false and defamatory claims." They specifically contested the implication that LaCivita personally received the $19.2 million. The Daily Beast subsequently added an editor’s note acknowledging the error in the initial sum but did not retract the broader claims.

A second letter, sent on November 12, 2024, deemed the editor's note insufficient, reiterating that the article still falsely suggested LaCivita personally profited from the campaign funds. A third letter, sent January 21, demanded the removal of a podcast episode discussing the matter. The Daily Beast ultimately deleted a segment of the podcast and added a note acknowledging the error in the stated amount while still standing by their overall reporting.

The RNC and LaCivita’s legal team have requested The Daily Beast preserve all related documents and communications in anticipation of litigation. The Daily Beast has declined further comment.