In June 2017, Palin filed a defamation lawsuit against "The New York Times" for an editorial accusing Palin of "political incitement" in the run-up to the 2011 shooting of Democratic congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, claiming a link to an advertisement from Palin's political action committee—which showed stylized crosshairs against the congressional districts held by 20 Democrats, including Giffords. The "Times" later issued a correction, stating that "no such link was established" between the advertisement and the shooting, and clarifying that what was depicted in the crosshairs in the ads were "electoral districts, not individual Democratic lawmakers." The "Times" wrote that the error did not "undercut or weaken the argument of the piece." In subsequent testimony at an evidentiary hearing, "Times" editorial page editor James Bennet stated that the editorial sought to make a point about heated political rhetoric, and was not intended to blame Palin for the attack on Giffords.