An estate cannot sue for slander or libel about a deceased person

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Here’s the breakdown:

General Rule (U.S. law): Defamation (slander/libel) is considered a personal tort—meaning it’s tied to harm done to a living person’s reputation. Once a person dies, their reputation is no longer legally protected in most U.S. jurisdictions. That means the estate of a deceased person usually cannot bring a new defamation claim on their behalf.

Survival Statutes: Some states have "survival statutes" that let certain lawsuits continue after someone’s death, but these typically cover financial or physical injury claims (e.g., personal injury, contract disputes). Defamation claims almost always do not survive death. If the deceased had already filed a defamation lawsuit while alive, the estate may sometimes continue that existing case—but only in limited jurisdictions.

Exception (Damage to the Estate/Heirs): If defamatory statements target the heirs or the estate directly—for example, accusing the executor of fraud, or making statements that cause measurable financial harm to the estate—then the estate might have a claim, but that would usually be under other tort or business-related causes of action, not defamation of the deceased.

International Context: Some countries (e.g., parts of Europe, Japan) do allow lawsuits over defamation of the dead, especially if it harms the dignity of surviving relatives. The rules vary a lot outside the U.S.

So, in the U.S., the short answer is: No, an estate cannot sue for slander or libel about a deceased person, unless the deceased had already filed suit while alive or unless the statements harm the estate itself in a concrete way.

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Yes — but with some caveats.

Organizations Can Sue: Turning Point USA is a nonprofit organization, and organizations (including companies, unions, nonprofits, etc.) are recognized as “legal persons.” That means they can sue for defamation (libel or slander) if false statements are made that harm their reputation and cause demonstrable damages.

Public Figure Status: Turning Point USA is widely known, very politically active, and frequently in the media. Courts almost certainly treat it as a public figure (or at least a “limited-purpose public figure”). That raises the legal bar:

To win a defamation claim, TPUSA would need to prove “actual malice”—that the false statement was made either knowing it was false or with reckless disregard for the truth.

That’s a much higher standard than for private individuals or small organizations.

What They Can’t Sue Over:

Pure opinions (“I think TPUSA is shady”) aren’t actionable.

Political criticism or satire is generally protected.

Only provably false statements of fact that cause harm could be the basis of a lawsuit.

Practical Considerations: Even if they can sue, organizations often avoid filing defamation cases because:

Discovery could open them up to scrutiny of internal records.

It risks amplifying the allegedly defamatory statement (“the Streisand effect”).

So, Turning Point USA can sue for slander/libel if someone makes false factual claims that damage the organization, but as a public figure, proving actual malice is difficult.

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