GERMANY – 2026/06/10: In this photo illustration, the logo of US support platform company Substack Inc. is displayed on a smartphone in front of abstract background on computer screen. (Photo Illustration by Timon Schneider/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
The Court Watch news site is a must read (and subscribe to) destination for anyone trying to keep track of overlooked court records and “interesting federal court filings, from search warrants, indictments, to everything in between.“
Reporters Seamus Hughes and Peter Buck are regularly breaking stories the traditional legacy press outlets have missed and while this latest story hasn’t received much attention – even in independent news circles – it has a number of fascinating aspects to it.
According to reporting from Court Watch, in January, the Pentagon’s Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs, Keith Bass, filed a defamation lawsuit against journalist Jeff Stein, who runs the Substack newsletter Spy Talk.
Stein reported in January 2025 that Bass had been “effectively fired” by the CIA in 2021 for his poor management of the spy agency’s Office of Medical Services:
Bass was “pushed out,” two authoritative sources told SpyTalk, after fumbling the agency’s handling of Havana Syndrome, which the government calls Anomalous Health Incidents, or AHI. One of the sources familiar with Bass’s removal, speaking on terms of anonymity to discuss the sensitive issue, said the retired former naval officer “was removed” by CIA Director Bill Burns, “not for misconduct,” but because “OMS was being poorly run, and AHI just flushed it out.” Numerous media reports in 2021 said the OMS chief was “pushed out” without identifying Bass by name.
The lawsuit filed by Bass claimed that Stein had written the piece for “partisan purposes”
Stein’s actual malice is further evidenced by his political motive in publishing the article. Stein targeted Bass because of his publicly known Republican affiliation and role in sensitive political matters, and seized upon unverified anonymous allegations to advance a predetermined partisan narrative.
According to a transcript reviewed by Court Watch from a hearing held in Alexandria federal court in mid-July, a judge questioned whether Bass’ lawsuit had reached the threshold proving true defamation. The court was ultimately unconvinced and let Bass leave to refile an amended complaint by Monday. He did not, and the case was dismissed.
Court Watch also reported that Stein’s lawyers will likely be filing for lawyer fees for the lawsuit. And Substack confirmed to Court Watch Thursday evening that the cost of Stein’s legal representation had been covered by Substack Defender, a legal support program for independent journalists and creators.