Challenger files lawsuit in 50th House District race
A Democrat seeking the 50th Missouri House District seat has filed a defamation lawsuit naming her opponent.
Michela Skelton filed the lawsuit Wednesday in Boone County court. Among the parties she is suing is state Rep. Sara Walsh, an Ashland Republican who won the seat over Skelton in an August 2017 special election. Skelton hopes to unseat Walsh in the rematch Nov. 6.
The lawsuit also names the House Republican Campaign Committee and is in response to an ad from the HRCC, which claims Skelton is an advocate for violent protest against police.
“This, the radio ad that’s currently running right now on a local radio station is more than just a lie and a half truth, it’s defamation,” Skelton said during a news conference Wednesday at the Boone County Courthouse. “It takes my call for justice, solidarity and equality and turns it into an accusation of attack, of violence against the police. And that’s not true. We deserve better as a community, our state deserves better than a candidate who will hide behind third party attacks and flat out lies.”
In a statement Wednesday, Walsh said she is out of town attending the funeral of a family member and has not seen the ad.
“What I have learned from reading online news stories is that the ad is a product of the House Republican Campaign Committee (HRCC) – not me or my campaign,” Walsh wrote. “I have also learned that my opponent is planning legal action against me for something about which I have no first-hand knowledge and absolutely no control over. Campaigns are prohibited from consulting or collaborating with entities such as the HRCC.”
“While many candidates are aware of the law, my opponent, an attorney, clearly is not. If the Columbia Tribune quote is correct, my opponent wants me to “tell HRCC to take it down.” I am prohibited from telling the HRCC what to do or what not to do. I am surprised that my opponent, an attorney, is ignorant of this very basic campaign law.”
“The bottom line is that I have no control over what the HRCC does. When I return from my family emergency, I will resume working hard as I campaign throughout the 50th District, meeting its good citizens and listening to their thoughts and concerns. I will not allow this threat of frivolous legal action to get in the way of my representation of the citizens of MO-50.”
