From Judge Reed O'Connor's decision today in Sabal v. Anti-Defamation League (N.D. Tex.):
Plaintiff John Sabal started his own business, The Patriot Voice, to organize conservative political events. The purpose of these events is to showcase "pertinent and dynamic speakers, whose messages are timely and relevant." These events also "feature speakers of every color and creed, including those of the Jewish faith." … Sabal contends that ADL defamed him….
The first ADL publication at issue is entitled, "Backgrounder: QAnon" (the "Backgrounder"). The Backgrounder includes two references to Sabal. The first states that "several aspects of QAnon lore mirror longstanding antisemitic tropes, and multiple QAnon influencers, including … QAnon John (John Sabal) have been known to peddle antisemitic beliefs." [The Backgrounder specifically refers to "the antisemitic trope of blood libel, the false theory that Jews murder Christian children for ritualistic purposes." -EV] The second states that "[i]n October 2021, several elected officials and candidates spoke at the Patriot Double Down conference hosted in Las Vegas, Nevada by antisemitic QAnon influencer John Sabal (QAnon John)." The words "spoke at the Patriot Double Down conference" link to an article published by the Arizona Mirror reporting on "some extremely antisemitic imagery," such as visuals of Hitler and the Star of David superimposed against a picture of the 9/11 attacks….
The second publication is ADL's "Glossary of Extremism and Hate" ("Glossary"), which "provides an overview of many of the terms and individuals used by or associated with movements and groups that subscribe to and/or promote extremist or hateful ideologies." The Glossary entry at issue here provides that "John Sabal, also known as 'QAnon John,' is a QAnon influencer who runs The Patriot Voice website, which he uses to advertise QAnon-related conferences. These conferences, the first of which was held in May 2021, have showcased the mainstreaming of QAnon and other conspiracy theories." …
The third ADL publication at issue is the report entitled, "Hate in the Lone Star State: Extremism & Antisemitism in Texas" (the "Lone Star Report"), which "explore[d] a range of extremist groups and movements operating in Texas and highlights the key extremist and antisemitic trends and incidents in the state in 2021 and 2022." The Lone Star Report identifies Sabal in connection with a Dallas conference:
Over the last few years, Texas has been at the heart of several notable QAnon events and incidents. The state has been home to multiple QAnon-themed conferences, highlighting the mainstreaming of QAnon and other conspiracies among conservative communities and the GOP. The most notable was "For God & Country: Patriot Roundup," which took place on Memorial Day weekend 2021. Organized by John Sabal, known online as "QAnon John" and "The Patriot Voice," the event featured then-Congressman Louie Gohmert (R-TX), then-Texas GOP chair Allen West, Lt. General Michael Flynn, attorney and conspiracy theorist Sidney Powell and various QAnon influencers. During the event, Michael Flynn seemingly endorsed a Myanmar-style coup in the U.S., although he has since backtracked on his remarks….
