"You have maximum freedom of speech for political purposes. But if you have malice towards a person for political reasons, and are saying things you know to be

"You have maximum freedom of speech for political purposes. But if you have malice towards a person for political reasons, and are saying things you know to be inaccurate in order to hurt them, and you have hurt them in some way (perhaps instigating an investigation you know to be spurious) you've crossed the line and should be subject to civil action from the person you are purposely harming. That's not a criminal thing, but a civil thing." I agree, but the US doesn't hold political figures to this standard. Two wrongs don't make a right, but the principle you outline isn't universally applied in the US.