Rosiak v. Awans
Case Overview
Luke Rosiak, an investigative journalist, reported on a controversy involving five House of Representatives information technology professionals who were accused of breaking House rules, procurement fraud, unauthorized network access, and equipment theft. After gathering information through official government reports, judicial proceedings, financial records, and interviews, Rosiak published his findings in a series of articles and a book titled Obstruction of Justice: How the Deep State Risked National Security to Protect the Democrats.
The five individuals implicated in the scandal, Imran Awan, Abid Awan, Jamal Awan, Tina Alvi, and Rao Abbas, filed a lawsuit against Rosiak for defamation and other claims. In response, Rosiak filed an anti-SLAPP motion, which requires the plaintiffs to introduce evidence showing they are “likely” to succeed on the merits. The plaintiffs did not dispute any of Rosiak’s evidence but objected to his conclusions.
The case represents a threat to free speech and thought protected by the First Amendment, and Rosiak asks the court to dismiss the plaintiffs’ complaint and award him fees and costs under D.C.’s Anti-SLAPP Act.
