Ex T-Mobile CEO to be Deposed in $100M Defamation Suit
Facts
- John Legere, the former chief executive officer of T-Mobile, is expected to be deposed in Florida state court in a $100M defamation lawsuit filed by Grant Cardone, a businessman and supporter of former president, and current Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump.[1]
- In May, Judge William Thomas of Miami-Dade's Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court denied Legere's motion to dismiss the suit. The prospects of deposition come after Cardone rejected his offer to settle the case with an apology.[1][2]
- In 2023, Legere reportedly made disparaging statements about Cardone on the social media platform Clubhouse, including referring to him as a 'con-man,' denying Cardone's claims of being a billionaire, and predicting that he would be 'found guilty of fraud' within a year.[3]
- Cardone's lawsuit calls these statements 'outrageous, false, and defamatory.' The suit claims that the two had a cordial and friendly relationship until Legere allegedly grew 'hostile' when audiences seemed to favor Cardone during debates they often held on social media.[2]
- The statements have caused a 'tremendous amount of financial damage,' Cardone's suit claims. The equity fund manager set up a GoFundMe to help offset legal costs incurred by Trump, after he was ordered to pay nearly $500M for manipulating his net worth.[4][1]
- On X (formerly Twitter), Cardone claimed that Legere — who left T-Mobile after its merger with Sprint in 2020 — began to attack him once he became aware of his support for Trump and Tesla's CEO, Elon Musk.[5][6]
Sources: [1]Guardian, [2]Floridianpress, [3]New York Post, [4]The Real Deal, [5]X and [6]CNBC.
Narratives
- Pro-Trump narrative, as provided by X. This just goes to show how viciously the establishment hates Trump, as it can't stand to hear dissenting opinions. The attacks that Cardone faced were clearly false as well as politically motivated, and he will hopefully receive a payout from Legere. Let this case serve as a warning against those who seek to discriminate on the basis of politics, which the supposedly tolerant left does with glee.
- Anti-Trump narrative, as provided by Huffington Post. Legere's predictions regarding Cardone may come to pass, as he has faced many lawsuits from those alleged to have been defrauded by him. Cardone is a controversial figure with a shady history who has hitched his wagon to the Trump Train, and the fact that anyone would seek to defend him goes to show how much of a personality cult the Trump movement has become.