US District Court refuses to dismiss defamation lawsuit against Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

The United States District Court for the District of Columbia has recently ruled that WE Charity's defamation lawsuit against the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) will proceed in the federal court in Washington, DC.

WE Charity is a not-for-profit charity seeking to foster volunteerism in US students and bring education, clean water, healthcare, and food to communities in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The group filed a defamation lawsuit against CBC in February last year, alleging that CBC had repeatedly aired false reporting by journalists Mark Kelley and Harvey Cashore. These reports included claims that WE Charity deceived its donors, including allegations that WE Charity inflated the number of schoolhouses it had built in Kenya and deceived donors about how their money was being spent.

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WE Charity further claimed that CBC aired lies even after the broadcaster was shown extensive pre-publication proof from WE Charity and the CBC's own go-to forensic auditor debunking the CBC's claims. WE Charity had previously operated in Canada but decided to sue CBC through its New York affiliate.

CBC attempted to move the case out of US jurisdiction by filing a motion to dismiss, which was premised on the ground that a Canadian court would be the more appropriate venue. However, US district judge Randolph D. Moss ruled in favour of WE Charity and rejected the new outlet's motion to dismiss.

"We are pleased by this progress in our effort to hold the CBC accountable for the harm it has caused WE Charity," said the charity's lawyer, Joseph Kroetsch.

Kroetsch had emphasized WE Charity’s claim that CBC knowingly published lies about WE Charity, threatening the future of the organization and the people it serves around the globe. "This ruling is an important first win in WE Charity's pursuit of justice, and we look forward to our day in court. WE Charity's donors and those who rely on its work deserve to see for themselves the evidence that CBC lied about the charity despite knowing the harm those lies would cause."