Lawyers for Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., want a federal court to hear a defamation case against her by 10 Covington Catholic teens — and intends to claim federal immunity in the notorious case, Law & Crime reported Thursday.
According to the filing posted by the legal news site, her lawyers want the case pending in Kenton County Circuit Court in Kentucky to be moved to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
The lawyers revealed she intended to claim "federal immunity and jurisdictional defenses in this action."
The move enraged one lawyer for the Covington Catholic teens, who charge Warren and others jumped to conclusions about a viral video of the teens' interaction with a Native American man at a March For Life event in January.
"Instead of an apology, Sen. Warren's message to the Covington Kids is she has a license to lie; she's a United States Senator," attorney Robert Barnes told Law&Crime. "All you have to do is put 'Senator' before your name on social media, and you can lie about anyone you want, anytime you want, and call it a 'public service.'"
"This case poses an unprecedented legal question: Is election to Congress a license to libel?" Barnes added.
The teens' complaint named Warren, Rep. Deb Haaland, D-N.M., CNN's Ana Navarro, Maggie Haberman of The New York Times, comedian Kathy Griffin, ABC News political analyst Matthew Dowd, Reza Aslan, formerly of CNN, Kentucky entrepreneur Adam Edelen, Princeton University History Professor Kevin Kruse, activist and journalist Shaun King, Mother Jones editor-in-chief Clara Jeffery and Rewire.News editor-in-chief Jodi Jacobson.
A ruling on Warren's move is expected no earlier than October, the news site reported.