Palin suit vs. Times tossed

A JUDGE has tossed Sarah Palin’s defamation lawsuit against The New York Times.

Manhattan Federal Judge Jed Rakoff on Tuesday dismissed the former Alaska governor’s claims that the Gray Lady smeared her in a June 14 editorial — by wrongly linking ads from her political action committee to the 2011 shooting of U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords in Tucson.

The Jan. 8, 2011, shooting spree left six dead and 13 injured, including the congresswoman.

The editorial had said Palin’s PAC put “Giffords and 19 other Democrats under stylized crosshairs.” But the crosshairs referred to electoral districts, not the pols themselves.

The Times ran a correction soon after the piece ran.

Rakoff said in his decision that the one-time vice presidential contender failed to show the errors were “made maliciously” and tossed the suit with prejudice — meaning Palin can’t sue The Times on the same grounds again. She still can appeal the decision.

Lawyers for Palin could not immediately be reached.