Does Sarah Palin have Grounds to Sue Author?

Yeah, I know. The threshold necessary for a public figure to prove libel or slander is virtually impossible to meet. That reality more than likely factored into Joe McGinniss's decision to let loose with unsubstantiated facts about Sarah Palin. However, thanks to an email obtained by Andrew Breitbart and posted to his Big Journalism and Big Government sites, we may have our first bread crumb that leads to grounds for a lawsuit against McGinnis. McGinniss's recently released book, which is clearly intended to smear Sarah Palin, is full of extremely serious claims that, if unproven, may just meet the standard for proving libel of a public figure.

Though Breitbart hasn't divulged how he got his hands on the email McGinnis sent to a guy named Jesse Griffin, who used to run an anti-Palin blog, McGinnis has since confirmed its authenticity.

Here is a portion of that email via Big Journalism:

From: Joe McGinniss
To: Jesse Griffin
Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2011 6:15 PM
Subject: I have to ask you for help

Jesse–
Legal review of my manuscript is underway and here’s my problem: no one has ever offered documentation of any of the lurid stories about the Palins. Shailey Tripp is the latest example.

APD and Sarah have denied that Todd had any involvement with her. To my knowledge, no one has provided any evidence that he did. TheEnquirer cites AlaskaWTF, which in turn cites the Enquirer: what good is that? I’m also told that the Enquirer is preparing to back off this story and save face by denouncing Ms. Tripp as an unreliable source who promised documentation she couldn’t provide.

She may be mentally unstable and prone to fabrication, delusion, or both. Her joint may be called Blue Hands Massage (brrrrr!), but she’s no Monica Lewinsky with a blue dress with a semen stain, that’s for sure.

Do you believe that Todd paid her for sex? If so, why do you believe that, other than that you wish it were true?

A lurid, sensational, defamatory story about Todd, based only on the account of a woman charged with prostitution, who is no doubt desperate for money, and who sold her story to the Enquirer, is a gift from heaven for Sarah.

Jesse, you can ridicule Sarah for calling in to the execrable Bob & Mark, but the fact is that as far as this story goes, there’s no there there. And rumors about what might come in weeks ahead are not facts. In fact, they’re garbage.

I’ve neither seen nor heard anything that indicates that Ms. Tripp’s story has any basis in fact. None of the endless crap Patrick posted about her before getting the boot from palingates.com offers any substantiation.

CLICK HERE to read the entire email. McGinniss has CONFIRMED the email is authentic, the recipient of that email has quite ironically claimed to be a victim - along with McGinniss - of 'vicious attacks,' and the 'prostitute' referred to in McGinniss's email has directed questions to her attorney.

There is an interesting confluence of events taking place here. First off, McGinniss went over-the-top when he moved in next door to the Palins in order to do 'research' for the book. If it comes out that he knowingly put forth tawdry falsehoods as fact, his book may just do Sarah Palin more good than harm.

Meanwhile, the hopes conservatives have been pinning on Rick Perry seem to be getting dashed after he told his base they 'don't have a heart' if they're not willing to grant in-state tuition for illegals. With Perry fading, Romney rises by default and conservatives don't seem to have any hope of overthrowing Romney as the frontrunner unless Sarah Palin jumps in the race. If she does so at a time when McGinniss proves to have libeled her, it may actually provide her an even bigger boost.

Either way, it's interesting to see McGinniss on defense so soon after the release of his book.

CLICK HERE and scroll down for updates to this story.