OR-06: Attorneys for Erickson (R), Salinas (D) make case to appeals court in campaign defamation suit
While U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas, D-Oregon, and Republican businessman Mike Erickson prepare for a possible electoral rematch in November, a defamation lawsuit tied to their last race in 2022 is still moving through the state court system.
A three-judge panel of the Oregon Court of Appeals heard oral arguments Monday in Salem over whether to toss Erickson’s 2022 defamation lawsuit against Salinas over a negative campaign ad. A Clackamas County Circuit Court judge allowed the case to continue in December 2022, triggering an appeal. Appellate judges Kristina Hellman, Darleen Ortega and Steven R. Powers will issue their decision at a later date.
They’ll determine whether Erickson can move forward with an $800,000 lawsuit over a campaign ad that says he was “charged with felony drug possession” and featured an image of four lines of an unidentified white powder. The ad stems from Erickson’s 2016 arrest for drunken driving, when officers found a single 5 mg oxycodone pill in his wallet while booking him into jail. They recommended drug charges, but those charges were never officially filed. Erickson pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and completed a diversion program.
Erickson, who lost to Salinas by 2.5 percentage points in Oregon’s new Willamette Valley-based 6th Congressional District, maintains that the negative ad contributed to his loss. His attorneys pointed out that Salinas continued to run the ads even after receiving a call from the Hood River district attorney informing her that he was never charged with drug possession.
https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2024/02/05/attorneys-for-erickson-salinas-make-case-to-appeals-court-in-campaign-defamation-suit/