LAS VEGAS, Nevada: A federal judge dismissed a Kash Patel lawsuit against blogger Jim Stewartson on July 25, ruling that Nevada lacked personal jurisdiction over the California defendant.
Chief US District Judge Andrew P. Gordon also vacated a $250,000 default judgment previously entered for Patel and the Kash Foundation, according to the 12-page court order.
Patel and his foundation filed the defamation case in June 2023. They sought $10 million over posts Stewartson published on X and Substack between June 2021 and May 2023.
The complaint challenged claims that Patel had planned the January 6 attack, committed sedition and acted as a Kremlin asset. Stewartson also called Patel a “chud” and “googly-eyed.”
Gordon found that Stewartson’s posts were available in Nevada and targeted Patel, a state resident. However, the content did not concern Nevada or target a Nevada audience specifically.
Tagging Patel in the posts created a connection with Patel rather than Nevada itself, the judge ruled. Stewartson’s statements instead addressed “the American body politic writ large.”
The jurisdictional dismissal did not determine whether Stewartson’s statements were defamatory, false or protected opinion.
Read: Kash Patel Snorkel At Pearl Harbor Draws Scrutiny
Gordon nevertheless criticised Stewartson’s conduct. He said Stewartson knew about the case, may have avoided service and had “wasted the plaintiffs’ and the court’s time.”
The court awarded Patel $200,000 and the Kash Foundation $50,000 in an August 2025 default judgment. The latest order declared the judgment void for lack of jurisdiction.
