Fading flowers

A Nevada judge’s decision to throw out a lingering Gennifer Flowers lawsuit against U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and former Clinton aides has been upheld by the U.S. Court of Appears for the Ninth Circuit.

Flowers sued James Carville and George Stephanopoulos for defamation seven years ago, adding Sen. Clinton to it in 2000. She contended that the two aides had suggested on talk shows that she had altered the tape recordings she made of her conversations with Bill Clinton. She accused Sen. Clinton of being part of a conspiracy to spread rumors that the tapes were doctored. Her lawsuit was supported by the conservative group Judicial Watch.

U.S. District Philip Pro of Nevada dismissed the suit because the claim was barred by Nevada’s statute of limitations.

The San Francisco court upheld that ruling but also said of the merits that Flowers failed to prove that the two Clinton aides acted with reckless disregard for truth: “Flowers presented insufficient evidence of actual malice to prevent summary judgment in favor of Carville and Stephanopoulos. … Flower’s failure to present evidence of actual malice is fatal to each claim against Carville and Stephanopoulos.”