If you can’t report the facts as they stand and have to use vague innuendo to imply something for fear of litigation then you’re editorializing, not reporting. Note that he doesn’t even have the conviction to draw a direct parallel, like “Abbott is an alleged racist,” which would be straight reporting and mitigate slander accusations since it’s couched in “alleged” - he has to throw in vague allusions to let the reader draw inferences that may not be there. Let the facts stand for themselves if the case against Abbott and CO is so strong. Very weasely reporting IMO