Tulsa County
A Jenks doctor has filed a libel suit against a Republican political consultant and a legislative opponent who, he claims, distributed political mailings and broadcast television spots that mixed him up with another person with the same name and libeled him.
Dr. Chris Emerson has filed suit against John Fritz and his firm Tomahawk Strategies, LLC for falsely claiming the doctor had been the subject of a professional negligence lawsuit, has been sued three times for not paying his bills and that he has made donations to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to support her “socialist agenda” and to back gun control.
The doctor also sued a political GOP primary challenger, Cody Rodgers.
Emerson points out that the person identified in his opponent’s materials is not him and states incorrect facts. He claims most of the political charges leveled against him actually are tied to another individual with the similar name.
Rodgers and Fritz did not respond to the Ledger’s request for comment on the lawsuit.
The filing in Tulsa County District Court disputes the claims made by Fritz and Rodgers point by point in the campaign promotional material.
Among the disputed claims made by Fritz and Rodgers are that Emerson was sued for not paying his bills in 2009, 2014 and 2018.
Fritz and Tomahawk also alleged, according to court documents, that Emerson was “found guilty of medical negligence” in a lawsuit causing brain injury to a minor.
Emerson noted that he was a defendant in the case initially but was dismissed from the lawsuit without prejudice in 2015, indicating that he did nothing wrong and was absolved of any negligence in the matter.
The mailings, the court filing also charge that Emerson pleaded “guilty for financial irresponsibility/security. Emerson’s filing said the claim is “false.”
Emerson and his Tulsa attorney, Taylor Burke of the firm Barber and Bartz, claim the person in that case was not Dr. Emerson. “The case involved a traffic citation as to a Christopher Don Emerson,” the lawsuit says. “Dr. Emerson’s middle name is Dwight.”
The doctor also says in the Fritz/Rodgers mailings cited by the defendants there is nothing in the URL web search name that provides any evidence that Emerson refused to pay his bills, as the campaign communications claim.
Emerson also contends a campaign video/television advertisement claims he has donated to U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi or a “socialist agenda” and that he opposes “gun rights.”
Emerson denies, in the lawsuit, that he has donated to Pelosi or any other Democrat and that he does not oppose the gun rights of American citizens.
The physician claims the myriad of inaccuracies in the Fritz/Tomahawk mailings, web videos and television ads that made similar claims were made with “actual malice,” meaning the defendants acted with intent to harm Emerson’s campaign, to make voters reject his candidacy and to cast him in a dubious light.
The lawsuit notes Emerson, through his attorney, sent a June 26, 2020, letter to the defendants requesting “an apology” for their libelous political communications. He also sought a public retraction of the claims.
To date, the defendants have provided no response to the doctor’s request.
Emerson is seeking $75,000 in damages, punitive damages, consequential damages and attorney fees and costs.