In a recent defamation case, a judge has declared that Rachel Maddow, along with other MSNBC hosts, made "verifiably false" statements about Dr. Mahendra Amin, a Georgia-based doctor.
The hosts had erroneously labeled Dr. Amin as a "uterus collector" and inaccurately reported that he had performed "mass hysterectomies." The doctor is now seeking damages amounting to $30 million.
According to The Post Millennial, Judge Lisa Godbey Wood of the Southern District in Georgia, in her ruling last month, stated that Maddow, Chris Hayes, and others made 39 "verifiably false" claims about Dr. Amin. The doctor, a gynecologist, had been treating detainees at a Georgia Immigration and Customs Enforcement center.
A nurse at the facility had lodged a whistleblower complaint, alleging that Dr. Amin was performing "mass hysterectomies" at the center, which she claimed were medically unnecessary procedures. However, court documents reveal that Dr. Amin only performed two hysterectomies, and "medical records for both hysterectomy patients show ICE authorization."
The court documents further state, "The two hysterectomy patients also signed informed consent forms for their procedures." The ruling noted, "NBC published multiple reports about allegations that Plaintiff, Dr. Mahendra Amin, performed mass hysterectomies on female detainees at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement. NBC reported allegations that Dr. Amin performed hysterectomies that were unnecessary, unauthorized, or even botched. Dr. Amin then brought this case, asserting that NBC defamed him under Georgia law."
Dr. Amin had provided various medical services to patients at the ICE facility, but had only ever performed two hysterectomies there. The court documents indicate that Chris Scholl, an NBC News veteran and deputy director of standards at NBCUniversal, had serious reservations about the reporting. He noted that Dr. Amin had a clean record, and Dawn Wooten, the whistleblower in the case, had "no direct knowledge" of the operations and "kind of has a beef."
Despite these concerns, Maddow and other hosts continued to air several segments during their primetime programming on MSNBC. Maddow quoted a detainee from the ICE facility as saying, "When I met all these women who had had surgeries, I thought this was like an experimental concentration camp." Maddow then added, "The nurse says she and her fellow nurses, quote, questioned among ourselves like goodness hes taking everybodys stuff out thats his specialty, hes the uterus collector Hes taking all their uteruses out or hes taking their tubes out.
In 2021, Dr. Amin filed a defamation lawsuit against NBCUniversal. A Senate investigation into the allegations found no evidence that the doctor had performed "mass hysterectomies." The Senate report stated, "The Subcommittee did not substantiate the allegations of mass hysterectomies on ICDC detainees. Records indicate that Dr. Amin performed two hysterectomies on ICDC detainees between 2017 and 2019. Both procedures were deemed medically necessary by ICE."
The court is yet to set a trial date for the defamation case. This case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of accurate reporting and the potential consequences of spreading misinformation.
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