American Rights Alliance is continuing to fight for James O'Keefe and O'Keefe Media Group (OMG), and Attorney Peter Ticktin has stepped up to lead this battle.

On Friday, July 25th, Ticktin filed a Special Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff Jamie Mannina's Complaint against Ticktin's client, invoking Washington D.C.'s anti-SLAPP statute designed to protect speech on matters of public interest.

The Gateway Pundit reported on Ticktin's reply to the plaintiff's complaint in this article James O'Keefe Fighting For First Amendment Rights and Bringing Truth To Light. Dismissal Filed in Defamation Case on July 11, 2025.

This recent filing comes in response to the complaint that alleges OMG defamed Mannina by publishing undercover video footage and related commentary based on his recorded statements.

In a recent OKeefeMediaGroup.com article, they state:

In the footage at the center of the dispute, Mannina, who described himself as a "bureaucrat" that was "embedded in the Pentagon," told an undercover journalist that he worked "in the Joint Staff, which is the top military command," and that "the chairman of the Joint Chiefs" was his boss. The video also captures Mannina stating he was "in conversation with a couple of retired generals to try and explore what we can do," after being asked what could be done to "protect the American people from stuff that [President Trump] might try to do."

The article goes on to talk about the many challenges to Mannina's claims, including: Mannina's objection to being labeled a "Top Pentagon Advisor." OMG counters that Mannina described himself in those terms, stating in the footage that he was "at this top consulting firm and my client is the Pentagon," and that he was "embedded in the Pentagon," with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs as his boss. "None of this is defamatory," the filing asserts. "We merely quote Mannina's own words."

The filing by Ticktin on behalf of O'keefe is pursuant to D.C. Code § 16-5502, where courts are required to dismiss claims arising from advocacy on issues of public interest unless the plaintiff can demonstrate that the statements were both false and made with actual malice. The filing argues that Mannina's recorded comments concern national leadership and military influence on presidential authority, topics that fall squarely within the statute's definition of "issues of public interest."

Ticktin points out in the filing, "Mr. Mannina also commented on and criticized President Trump and Defense secretary Pete Hegseth, two of the most public figures in the country, if not the planet.