Hutchinson v. Proxmire

The federal district court ruled in favor of Proxmire. It held that the press release was part of the process by which a senator keeps constituents informed of his or her activities. As a result, it was protected by the Speech or Debate Clause. As for the interview and the newsletter, those too were held to be protected speech under the First Amendment. Later, an appeals court affirmed this ruling. It even added the newsletter to the category of "informing functions" protected by the Speech or Debate Clause. The courts threw out the damage claims made by Hutchinson against Proxmire.