Answer:
I'm sorry, but that statement is incorrect. The ruling in the landmark case of New York Times Co. v. Sullivan was actually the opposite - that a public official cannot win a defamation case unless they can prove that the statement was made with "actual malice." In other words, the Supreme Court ruled that public officials have a higher burden of proof in defamation cases than private citizens. This decision was a significant victory for freedom of the press and the First Amendment.