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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsCoal Baron, a Major Ken Cuccinelli Campaign Donor, Sues Blogger for Defamation, Invasion of Privacy
Last edited Mon Nov 4, 2013, 03:02 AM - Edit history (1)
Coal Baron, a Major Ken Cuccinelli Campaign Donor, Sues Blogger for Defamation, Invasion of Privacyby Steve Horn at Desmogblog
http://www.desmogblog.com/2013/11/03/coal-baron-major-ken-cuccinelli-campaign-donor-sues-blogger-defamation-invasion-privacy
"SNIP..............................
In the piece published in the Huffington Post, Stark points to the $30,000 that Murray Energy has given Cuccinelli, as well as Robert Murray's campaign work on behalf of 2012 Republican Party presidential nominee Mitt Romney. Stark also covers Murray's call for the impeachment of President Obama at a recent speaking engagement, along with his firing of 150 workers after Obama's 2012 victory over Mitt Romney and the prayer he offered the U.S. public after Obama's 2012 victory.
The rationale behind the defamation suit for Murray boils down to Stark and The HuffPost referring to Murray as an "extremist" and pointing to the firing of the 150 Murray Energy workers as a potential "fulfillment of a promise" after the 2012 presidential election.
"The Defamatory Statements...were published with malice...[and] were understood and interpreted by readers of The Huffington Post to be assertions of fact, not opinion," says Murray's complaint. "These false and defamatory statements have severely harmed the reputation of the Murray plaintiffs [and have] caused great mental anguish and emotional distress for Plaintiff Robert E. Murray and his family members."
To protect free speech and robust public debate, courts make it difficult for well-known public figures to sue for defamation or the related claim of false light invasion of privacy. To avoid those limits, Murrays lawyers argue Murray is not a public figure at all.
...............................SNIP"
2naSalit
(86,508 posts)Hope it's thrown out of court in the first hearing.
applegrove
(118,590 posts)information they cannot control there. I worry that this is just the start of rich people, who control the country, hiding behind anonymity, just as they do when they donate.
2naSalit
(86,508 posts)Renew Deal
(81,852 posts)is just an opinion. It's not different than saying Robert Murray is a jerk. Now if someone said that Robert Murray is an a-hole, that might be defamatory since he probably doesn't resemble an a-hole.
gopiscrap
(23,733 posts)dlwickham
(3,316 posts)at least in my neck of the woods
Murray Growing As National Coal Player
http://www.theintelligencer.net/page/content.detail/id/591818/Murray-Growing-As-National-Coal-Player.html?nav=515
Murray Prays for America
http://www.theintelligencer.net/page/content.detail/id/577008/Murray-Prays-for-America.html?nav=509
Much at Stake for Coal
http://www.theintelligencer.net/page/content.detail/id/587779/Much-at-Stake-for-Coal.html?nav=509