Democratic political director sues Georgia bloggers for libel
The political director of the Georgia Democratic party has filed a libel and slander suit against the operators of two blogs – one Republican and one Democrat — for allegedly mischaracterizing his criminal record.
Several dozen Democratic activists – including several state lawmakers – turned out to provide the background for a news conference at state party headquarters, where the court action was announced.
Click here to read the lawsuit, filed in Fulton County Superior Court.
Rashad Richey worked on the 2010 campaigns of Gail Buckner, a candidate for secretary of state, and Carol Porter, a candidate for lieutenant governor. Both women lost.
In a sign of continued party turmoil, Chairman Mike Berlon said he has reason to believe that information on Richey’s background was leaked from office files by a “current” member of the party’s staff – whom he said he was not yet prepared to name. The party’s executive director quit in February.
The lawsuit says that language used on two blogs, Georgia Politics Unfiltered and Blog for Democracy, implies that Richey is a convicted felon. Quinton Washington, Richey’s attorney, confirmed that the 30-year-old state political director – as a 17- year-old — sought first-offender status after being charged with aggravated assault in 1998. Such charges are erased after successful probation service.
Other arrests were cases of mistaken identity, or on misdemeanor charges – including one for driving with a suspended license.
“I’ve made mistakes in my life, but that is exactly where they are – in my past life. Some decisions I’ve made have been wrong and regrettable. I have atoned for those incidents, and have made it my goal to ensure that others don’t repeat the mistakes that I’ve made,” Richey said, reading from a prepared statement. He took no questions.
Thrandon Echols, a guidance counselor and coach at Salem High School in Conyers, Ga., was among those speaking on Richey’s behalf, citing his work with his students.
Public records on Richey’s past have been dripped out by Georgia Politics Unfiltered since mid-April. Quenton Washington, one of Richey’s attorneys, called the campaign a case of “cyber bullying.”
Berlon, the party chairman, said he had thoroughly reviewed Richey’s background. “I can assure you I take these allegations seriously. I can assure you I conducted an exhaustive investigation into the facts and reviewed all the records,” he said. “The record’s absolutely clear that Mr. Richey has never been convicted of a felony. These charges that have been leveled are scurrilous at best.”
Both Berlon and Richey’s attorney asserted that Richey is not a public figure – a status that raises the bar for those seeking damages for libel, slander or defamation. But the lawsuit does note that Richey’s occupations as political director for the party and a radio host “are positions of public trust.”
According to the lawsuit, blog references to Richey as “a jail bird” and “Richey the Recidivist” were intended to force him from his job with the party. The latter phrase “is not only inflammatory on its face, but has a particularly adverse meaning when used in the political arena.”
The suit seeks damages from Andre Walker, a former Democratic party staffer turned Republican, who operates Georgia Politics Unfiltered; Melanie Goux, who operates Blog for Democracy; and former state party parliamentarian Jane Bradshaw. More parties may be added later.
“This libelous act may be continuing and ongoing as the cyberspace universe is infinitely vast in its reach and exposure,” the suit says.
Goux and Bradshaw declined immediate comment.
Walker, contacted on Thursday, said he last worked at the Democratic party in 2008, and was in charge of drawing up the plan to select delegates to that year’s presidential nominating convention. Walker denied that he had been slipped information from Democratic sources. But on his web site, Walker has continued to churn out public records involving Richey — and today produced a November 2010 record from the Clayton County district attorney’s office indicating that Richey had been named in a paternity suit.
“I’m not a bully. I consider myself a truth-teller,” Walker said.
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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38 comments Add your comment
Aaron Burr V Mexico
May 4th, 2012
1:15 pm
How EXACTLY is a RADIO HOST not a public figure? It is by DEFINITION a public figure and therefore subject to the highest standard of ridicule.
Marlboro Man
May 4th, 2012
1:23 pm
Where’s the damage ?
MrLiberty
May 4th, 2012
1:35 pm
Every member of both of these parties subscribes to the notion that it is ok to use the power and force of government to achieve their social goals. THAT MAKES EVERY ONE OF THEM CRIMINALS as far as I am concerned. You don’t get to party leadership without selling your soul to the devil. Honest men get destroyed by the party machine that rules this country and is selling out america’s future for their own power and benefit. The truth is never libel.
Aaron Burr V Mexico
May 4th, 2012
1:38 pm
@MrLiberallyDrinking – A government is an organized will of the mob. I’m sorry, but that’s a fact. People are vicious disgusting animals kept in check only by the rule of comfort that they can get up and go to the store and get their coffee and donuts and that the world won’t turn upside down at the drop of a hat.
Give them the slightest chance and 9 out of ten people (99 out of 100 in the case of the south) will riot, lie, cheat and steal if they don’t think there are consequences (namely, government) for their actions.
Both sides are bad. The democratic party of Georgia is disgusting, but they are not EQUALLY bad or equally disgusting and to argue such is a position more dishonest than even that of the Republicans themselves.
Tom Knighton
May 4th, 2012
2:20 pm
First, I’m kind of relieved to see that the lawsuit wasn’t against me this time.
Second, Andre and Melanie better dig in. This is going to be a long, expensive, and aggravating road that you are now embarked on. Jeff Sexton and I welcome you to the club
Georgia Voter
May 4th, 2012
2:22 pm
Both sides of the aisle have their good, honorable people and also their share of nasty, dishonorable people. Calling each other names doesn’t help our country, state or community.
Kim
May 4th, 2012
2:24 pm
For a bunch of guys in politics they sure are awfully thin skinned.
Aaron Burr V Mexico
May 4th, 2012
2:25 pm
@Georgia Voter – That was the cast 20 years ago.
That is not the case any more and yes, I’m sorry to say that it does. You see November 2010 taught us that the people in the middle will go to the middle no matter where that middle is, so if you don’t push back with equal and total force the country will be dragged ever rightward off a cliff until it dies.
If you don’t see that, then you’re either a Republican, a collaborator or asleep.
Aaron Burr V Mexico
May 4th, 2012
2:39 pm
A hint of moderation of the topics? I’m thrilled. Shocked, but thrilled.
Why if this were to continue the mockery might not be needed in such thick doses.
I’m not holding my breath.
A Ghast
May 4th, 2012
3:05 pm
This is mind boggling to be happening with any political party in a presidential election year. Don’t they have to recruit some candidates and try to win some elections in Georgia this year? Focusing all this much time, attention, financial and human resources on the personal problems of a staff member who is also a public radio personality with a public podium of his own – this filing lawsuits for any individual staff member is far astray from the organization’s legal purpose and fiddling while Rome burns, with qualifying only 2 1/2 weeks away.
A basic confusion: The Democratic Party is a political party, as is the Republican Party. By definition their purpose and existence is 100% political activity. Everybody in the staff is a political something or other, and the chief operating officer is the executive director of a political party. How do you single one person out as a “political director” of a POLITICAL party, and what is the job description, what do they direct? Just wondering…..
Aaron Burr V Mexico
May 4th, 2012
3:07 pm
Right, let me just say it this way then.
Do you want to know why the Democrats are not doing well?
Exhibit A.
A Ghast has the right idea.
touche
May 4th, 2012
3:33 pm
Banish all involved parties to South Carolina.
td
May 4th, 2012
3:38 pm
Sonny took Georgia and kept it somewhat stable. He was not a perfect governor, but he also did not take Georgia and put it in the toilet. Over the last couple of years I have accumulated a storage of articles of Georgia’s failures that are a direct result of the new republican legislative majority. Nathan Deal is a bad man, yet his racist actions are somewhat limited because many educated and wealthy people are scrutinizing his every move. REPUBLICANS ARE NOT GOOD PEOPLE!!!!!
outhouse
May 4th, 2012
3:55 pm
td- you might be bi-polar.
A Ghast
May 4th, 2012
3:59 pm
Earth to td…….. are you sure you’re on the right spool??
Aaron Burr V Mexico
May 4th, 2012
4:04 pm
It’s Morph. I don’t condone his behavior but by saying the opposite of Totally Disruptive very often I enjoy the words.
Emily
May 4th, 2012
4:07 pm
There are certain people within the Democratic Party clique who only want the high-paying party jobs to go to the white kids.
honested
May 4th, 2012
4:07 pm
This does seem to be a bit of bad timing for the Democratic Party.
Any misguided side issues take away from the glaringly terrible job the republican party has done in the latest General Assembly session and the horrible complicity of our acting Governor.
Of course I doubt the overwhelming evidence will make many think carefully before we vote because apparently republicans are willing to wait 100 years or so for any of their hare brained programs and wrong wing policy shifts to have some positive effect on the lives of Georgians.
It may be a very long wait before the kool aid wears off.
td
May 4th, 2012
5:16 pm
Republicans are not decent humans. The 9-11 society that they created was planned and was the biggest wealth takeover scheme that the U.S.A has ever experienced! Nobody believes that bombing innocent women and children is the right thing to do, yet there are certain members of the republican party elite that beg to differ! From Tom Price, Nathan Deal, to Newt Gingrich, these goons have taken a peaceful south and made it the bulls eye of an NFL linebacker about to take a giant dump after eating Golden Corrall!!! I speak against the disgusting republican party that has devastated the world so that people who can out and protest all republican scumbags from attaining office!!!!
A Ghast
May 4th, 2012
5:22 pm
OMG, Emily, I can’t believe you said that! This commotion is not about skin color or race. As a matter of fact, the blogger who posted the police records is a black guy too, who also used to work for the Democratic Party about 4-5 years ago.
td
May 4th, 2012
5:28 pm
I see Jim has took down a couple of my post but has allowed the fake td to post at will. Very nice.
outhouse
May 4th, 2012
6:55 pm
Sometimes, the law is a arse.
Madison
May 4th, 2012
7:12 pm
“has taken down”
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will crush the heads of the perverted New World Order integrationist crowd and their devilish black minions
May 4th, 2012
7:30 pm
At this time in history, America needs as many truth-tellers as she can muster.
http://beholdapalehorse.tv/
Amen?
Democratic political director sues Georgia bloggers for libel – Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) | Best News Feed - Daily News Magazine
May 4th, 2012
8:28 pm
[...] Democratic political director sues Georgia bloggers for libelAtlanta Journal Constitution (blog)The political director of the Georgia Democratic party has filed a libel and slander suit against the operators of two blogs – one Republican and one Democrat — for allegedly mischaracterizing his criminal record. Several dozen Democratic activists …and more » [...]
ole gal
May 4th, 2012
9:00 pm
Well what a hot mess this is — for Melanie Goux and for Andre Walker. As for Melanie, it saddens me that a woman as smart and tallented as she is, would pass on the sour grapes garbage that Andre Walker squeezes out of his venemous brain. As for Andre, he is a very little man who wants to be a big man; and when the Democrats would not make him a big man he took his little poison “pen” over to the Republicans where it fitted better in some right-wing apperture I can only guess at. What I do not have to guess at is that Andre was never in charge of revising the delegate selection process. I served on that committee with him; and while, he did chair it, he did not finish the job, did not really reform anything and did pretty much what he did at party meetings — i.e. belabored some minor point to the utter frustration of others on the committee. Andrew used to take up meeting times with a harrangue about moving the meetings over to Ga State, what kind of food we should serve, and heaven knows he ran for everything and never made it as an officer of the party though he was a paid staffer at one time, not high up though. Traitors like him are, in this ole gal’s opinion, beneath contempt. When this mess started to boil up through the compost heap of Andre’s fevered imagination, I told people to leave it alone because no one should give credence to anything that came of his mouth, mind or blog. Looks like Melanie was so anxious to get even with Mike she decided to sign on with Andre, and boy has she put her foot in it bigtime.
Boys and Girls, lawsuits are big business, big important business. They are not a ticket to fifteen minutes of fame for glory hogs like Andre. And, think Melanie, that fool has no assets unless the Repugnicans gave him some; but, you are businesswoman and you will be the one who winds up paying the price. If I were not so annoyed, I would feel sorry for you. Melanie, I have always liked you; and speaking with someone today who does still like you, it is inspite of your mean and vendictive streak. Melanie, Apologize now, retract, and apologize. Andre, you keep on going just like you have been. Ole Gal
GAProgress
May 4th, 2012
9:28 pm
I would just like to say that GAProgress is strongly against libel and slander. The fact that we have Democrats teaming up with Republicans to take down other Republicans is just disgraceful. It is all the more reason that we should get them the hell out of our party.
GAProgress
May 4th, 2012
9:29 pm
Sorry, should read “The fact that we have Democrats teaming up with Republicans to take down other Democrats is just disgraceful.”
bronson
May 4th, 2012
9:32 pm
I’m still waiting on a legal challenge for only having the choice of a county, or in god we trust sticker. If you want a god sticker, you should pay the vanity plate price, like every other interest group. It is very definitely a separation of church and state issue. The distance between the taliban and Georgia’s repugnant party narrows every day. I’m looking for them to break out the burqas for their women any day now.
outhouse
May 4th, 2012
10:18 pm
I’d like to think/imagine ole gal talks like she blogs. Ooo-wee, very hot!
double
May 4th, 2012
10:51 pm
Need vanity sticker ” The Devil is the God of this earth”.
another ol' gal
May 4th, 2012
11:39 pm
Melanie: What the has gotten into you. You are talented, smart and your’re not a middle schooler. We’re all sorry your buddy Page had a bad job experience and resigned before being fired. Don’t stick your neck out for her. She isn’t worth it For goodness sakes, when Mike relieved you of your duties, you got “fired” from a volunteer job. Who the heck gets fired from a volunteer job? You are behaving like you lost all your marbles. You are acting really DAFT! Back off, apologize. Rashad is right in suing you.
Oblama
May 4th, 2012
11:52 pm
Never denied he did these things. If he had been older it would have been a felony. He committed the act.
Giebergnc
May 5th, 2012
1:20 am
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Edward Ruffin
May 5th, 2012
8:33 am
A democrat with a criminal record………so what else is new?
GaBlue
May 5th, 2012
8:43 am
Sweet baby Jesus on a breadstick.
Sick of the clique
May 5th, 2012
10:54 am
The people being named on the D side are part of this ITP cabal that thinks they are the only ones capable of running the party. They think everyone in the state who is a Democrat drives a Mini Cooper and flies the rainbow flag. What they don’t know is just how much their actions have hurt the efforts of other Democrats in rural areas who are trying to recruit candidates and win elections. And I hope they get the worst case of flea bites ever since they chose to lay down with the worst little pissant dog ever.
A Ghast
May 5th, 2012
3:38 pm
@Sick, totally agree with your summary re the ITP clique and what they’ve done to the Party. Let’s hope the Dems in rural GA are having some luck.
For some reason I sort of feel sorry for the little guy though.