TDFP Exclusive: DHS Secretary Mullin's Wife Sues Daily Mail for Libel Over 'Wild Rumor' Story She Says Was Denied Before It Ran
The wife of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has sued the Daily Mail in federal court, alleging that the British newspaper published a false story claiming her husband was trying to put her on the Department of Homeland Security payroll so he would not have to pay for her flights, according to a complaint reviewed by The Digital Free Press.
Christie Mullin filed the suit on Thursday, Oct. 15, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against Associated Newspapers Limited, the Daily Mail's London-based publisher; Mail Media, Inc., which operates DailyMail.com; and Daily Mail reporter Elina Shirazi. The case is Mullin v. Associated Newspapers Limited, No. 1:26-cv-03615. It brings claims of defamation (libel per se), defamation by implication and false light invasion of privacy, and asks for a jury trial.
The suit targets a May 27, 2026, Daily Mail article headlined "Trump's DHS chief rocked by wild rumor about his WIFE... as furious staff leak scandalous details about his life of luxury."
Asked by The Digital Free Press whether the Secretary or his staff told the Daily Mail before publication that the story was false, a DHS spokesperson said: “Yes. DHS debunked many false claims.” The spokesperson said Mrs. Mullin “has never been considered for any position at DHS,” added that “Secretary Mullin abides by all ethics requirements,” and said the department has no comment on the lawsuit because “this private litigation is outside the purview of DHS.”
Christie Mullin's attorney, Todd Marks, and the Daily Mail did not respond to requests for comment by deadline.
What the Daily Mail Reported
According to the complaint, the article said the Secretary "is desperately trying to get his wife, Christie Mullin, hired onto DHS's payroll," that he was "trying to obtain government employee status for his wife, 47, so that he does not have to pay for her airline ticket when she flies," and that he was "reportedly inquiring about a Special Government Employee (SGE) designation, or contracting role, for his spouse." The article quoted an anonymous source as saying he "pitches the idea on the regular."
The complaint says the article relied on unnamed "insiders" and "furious staff" and that the Mail did not corroborate their claims with records or on-the-record sources. It also says Shirazi promoted the story on X the same morning, writing that Mullin "is inquiring about a Special Government Employee (SGE) designation for his wife at Homeland Security," with no mention of a rumor. The suit says that post had been viewed more than 433,000 times as of Oct. 10.
What the Christie Mullin Lawsuit Says Is False
The complaint says Christie Mullin "has not been offered, has not sought, has not considered, and has not accepted any position at the Department of Homeland Security in any capacity," and that no such proposal was ever made. It describes her as a private citizen and an unpaid volunteer in the rural-policy program at the America First Policy Institute.
The suit also attacks the story's money motive. It says a 2004 White House memo designates the DHS Secretary's travel on government aircraft as "required use," so there was no cheaper commercial option for him to avoid, and it says the Mullins own two private aircraft, meaning she would need no federal title to fly privately.
The Complaint Says the Mail Was Warned
Before the article ran, the complaint alleges, Shirazi contacted the Secretary and his staff, who told her the claim was "absolutely false." The suit says the Mail published anyway and never contacted Christie Mullin herself.
The complaint also alleges that "another national news organization pursued the same story, received the same denial, and declined to publish." It does not name that outlet.
According to the suit, the article named and pictured the couple's minor children. The complaint says the children were later embarrassed to go to school and that one of them was verbally abused by a classmate over the story. The Digital Free Press is not naming the children.
Demands for a Retraction Were Refused, Suit Says
The complaint says Mullin's lawyers demanded a retraction in a May 28 letter and again in a formal pre-suit demand on June 29. By letter dated July 8, it says, the Daily Mail, through in-house counsel, refused to retract, correct or apologize. According to the complaint, the Mail's position in response to the demand was that the article was not "of and concerning" Christie Mullin because it reported only on the Secretary's own inquiries; the suit points to the headline's "wild rumor about his WIFE" as proof otherwise.
The suit says the Mail revised the article on July 2 and again on Sept. 17 without a correction or editor's note, and that the current version includes a DHS spokesperson's statement that the Secretary would "always pay for his wife's travel on the plane" and "abides by all ethics requirements." The complaint argues the Mail printed those denials but not the denial of the central claim about her.
The complaint also points to a second Shirazi article, published Sept. 17, about the Secretary sharing a Washington "crash pad" with a congressman, which it says again named Christie Mullin and the couple's children despite her lawyers' request that the children's names be removed.
What She Is Asking For
Christie Mullin seeks compensatory, presumed, special and punitive damages in amounts to be decided at trial, plus interest and costs. She is represented by C. Todd Marks of Westchase Law in Tampa, Fla., with co-counsel Natalie Khawam Case, whose application to appear in the D.C. court is pending.
None of the allegations has been tested in court. As of the most recent docket update, filed entries show the complaint, a sealed filing and the case's assignment to a judge; no response from the Daily Mail, Mail Media or Shirazi had been filed. The original article remained online on Saturday.
The Digital Free Press takes no position on the case and will update this story with any response from the parties.
Sources: Complaint, Mullin v. Associated Newspapers Limited et al., No. 1:26-cv-03615 (U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia), filed Oct. 15, 2026, and the case docket (via CourtListener / PACER); Daily Mail, "Trump's DHS chief rocked by wild rumor about his WIFE... as furious staff leak scandalous details about his life of luxury," May 27, 2026 (still online Oct. 17, 2026).
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