Court won’t rehear Ventura case against Chris Kyle’s estate

MINNEAPOLIS – An appeals court has denied former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura’s request for a rehearing of his defamation case against the estate of slain Navy SEAL and “American Sniper” author Chris Kyle.

In June, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals tossed out a $1.8 million verdict awarded to Ventura. On Tuesday, the court denied a request for a rehearing without giving a reason.

Ventura’s attorney, David Olsen, had argued that the court’s ruling placed too much emphasis on comments Olsen made at trial that suggested insurance would cover a defamation award.

Kyle’s autobiography was the basis for the 2014 film “American Sniper.” Ventura, a former SEAL, took issue with Kyle’s claim that Kyle punched Ventura at a California bar in 2006 for offensive comments about the SEALs.