Mandela Barnes files defamation lawsuit against Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who ran in the 2026 Democratic primary for governor,  has filed a lawsuit against the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, claiming that the newspaper defamed him  when it ran an anonymously sourced story about Barnes’ relationships with women. The Sentinel published two stories on the same day in July, one focused on accusations that Barnes used his high profile political status to gain intimate access to women and another covering Barnes dropping out of the race for governor. 

“I understand that seeking public office brings scrutiny, and I respect the essential role of a free press,” Barnes said in a press release. “Accuracy and fairness matter deeply when reporting affects a person’s reputation, family, and future. I dispute the reporting identified in this complaint and believe it created a materially false picture of me and my conduct. I asked the Journal Sentinel to correct it, and the newspaper declined. I am bringing this case so the disputed facts can be examined through the legal process.”

In a story headlined “Sources detail concerns about Mandela Barnes’ behavior toward women,” journalists Mary Spicuzza and Molly Beck reported that an outside law firm had been hired by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin to review allegations of inappropriate behavior involving Barnes and young adult women. Described as a “probe,” the alleged inquiry was launched after then-party chairman Ben Wikler received an anonymous letter in 2024 accusing Barnes of using his position in the party to gain access to women. The story reported that the review found nothing actionable, and that the original letter lacked details.

The lawsuit disputes the Sentinel’s reporting that an outside law firm had been hired to investigate Barnes. Rather, the complaint states, the party’s regularly retained counsel “may have reviewed the anonymous letter in its ordinary advisory capacity, but neither counsel nor the party conducted a factual investigation or ‘outside probe.’” It added that “the anonymous letter referenced in the Articles contained no names, no specific incidents, and no concrete allegations capable of being investigated.”

The lawsuit also disputes reporting from the Journal Sentinel — using three anonymous sources — that Barnes used his position in the party to seek sexual relationships with young adult women. One of the sources claimed to have had a sexual relationship with Barnes, while the other two said they had knowledge of his behavior, though no one has said they were abused by Barnes, the defamation complaint states. 

The Journal Sentinel’s use of AI-generated summaries for the story also came under fire in the defamation suit. The AI-generated overview mentions the hiring of an outside law firm to investigate allegations and that Barnes used his position to pursue intimate relations with young women, and linked his dropping out of the race with allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct that have not led to any criminal charges. 

A subsequent story headlined “Mandela Barnes ends Democratic campaign for Wisconsin governor,” also authored by Spicuzza and Beck, mentioned that Barnes’ decision to withdraw from the race came on the heels of  the Sentinel’s report on the reputed allegations against Barnes. The defamation complaint states that Barnes’ decision was based on internal polling, support for another candidate, “the absence of a viable political path,” and financial concerns. 

The lawsuit also mentions that a Journal Sentinel reporter originally assigned the story had been removed from the effort because she  previously had an intimate relationship with Barnes. Spicuzza and Beck were brought on to re-report that journalist’s work and carry the stories forward. The lawsuit states that the Journal Sentinel’s reporting did not disclose the original conflict of interest or the reporter’s removal from the story. 

When Barnes exited the race he was polling second behind Rep. Francesca Hong at 16% to Hong’s 38% according to Marquette University Law School polling data. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley eventually won the primary and was elected governor last week. Shortly after the stories on Barnes appeared,  Bruce Murphy, editor-in-chief of Urban Milwaukee, published a column calling the Journal Sentinel’s reporting on the Barnes accusations “irresponsible”. He began the column by asking, “What in the world were the Journal Sentinel editors thinking?”

Barnes requested retractions and corrections to the stories, and filed  the lawsuit after the Journal Sentinel refused and stood by its reporting. The lawsuit seeks damages for alleged reputational and “other injuries resulting from the publication,” but does not claim  that the stories caused Barnes to withdraw from the race. 

“The Journal Sentinel stands by our reporting,” said Greg Borowski, executive editor of the newspaper, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. “The story went through our standard editing and legal review, and Mr. Barnes was given the opportunity to respond before publication.”