KINGFISHER — A Republican candidate for the Legislature filed a lawsuit here Friday against a “shadowy dark money group” that issued a “false, libelous, slanderous and defamatory” video attacking his character, and whose campaign material lists a false address and an “illegitimate” telephone number.
JJ Stitt, of Kingfisher, filed a defamation lawsuit against Common Sense Conservatives, LLC, and John Does #1, #2 and #3. His attorneys are Stephen Jones and William Jewell of Enid, and he requested a jury trial.
Stitt is one of three Republicans vying in the June 28 statewide primary for the State Senate District 26 seat. The other candidates are Brady Butler of Fay and the incumbent, Sen. Darcy Jech of Kingfisher, who is seeking his third and final term in the Legislature.
“I know nothing about that and wish they hadn’t done it,” Jech told the Southwest Ledger. “I was disgusted by it.”
“[D]irty politics, mudslinging, and dark money have been injected” into the District 26 race “and necessitate the filing of this lawsuit,” Stitt contends.
Earlier this month Common Sense Conservatives, “a shadowy dark money group” launched “a defamatory attack” against Stitt’s campaign.
A website that claims it is “authorized and paid for by Common Sense Conservatives, LLC” lists an address in Tulsa and includes a “918” area code telephone number. According to the lawsuit, the CSC is not located at that address.
Also, the telephone number listed for the CSC is “illegitimate.” When Stitt’s attorneys called that number, “it had clearly been disconnected,” they said. All five times the Southwest Ledger dialed that number over a two-hour period on June 25, the reporter received a busy signal.
The lawsuit petition includes a screen shot of a YouTube page created in the name of Common Sense Conservatives, LLC.
Common Sense Conservatives is not a limited liability company registered with Oklahoma’s Secretary of State, Jones and Jewell learned.
In addition, Common Sense Conservatives, LLC, “and others unknown,” bought an ad through Google Ads that claims Stitt was “arrested for domestic assault,” “broke a dog’s jaw” and is “not one of us”. The final line in the ad is “Learn more”, which directs the viewer to the YouTube channel and an attack ad against Stitt.
The video claims that Stitt’s ex-wife obtained an emergency protective order against him after he “allegedly kicked and punched her and even broke her dog’s jaw… JJ Stitt, a bad man with a bad record.”
In his petition, Stitt said he is a 20-year veteran of law enforcement, currently employed as a deputy with the Kingfisher County Sheriff’s Department and with the Okarche Police Department. His police record is “impeccable” and he has never been “brought up on any disciplinary actions,” he says.
Stitt added that he has “never been arrested in his entire life” and “never committed domestic abuse.” If he had, “such an allegation would be known to the federal authorities who approved his federal firearms license…”
The protective order issued 26 years ago was dismissed and lapsed, its allegations “never proven,” his petition states.
An exhibit submitted with the lawsuit petition includes the “Guiding Principles for Common Sense Conservatives”. Among them is “Praising real conservatives and fearlessly exposing RINOs” [Republicans in name only] and “Encouraging principled conservative leadership that promotes our values”.
Stitt contends he has been attacked “solely because he is a viable candidate” for the Legislature and is “a threat to the establishment politicians, or their allies or supporters, who created” Common Sense Conservatives.
Stitt sued on grounds of libel and slander.
He said he intends to clear his name at trial, “regardless of the outcome of the Republican primary.”
The identities of whoever is behind the CSC “will be uncovered,” the truth “will be revealed,” and residents of State Senate District 26 “will know the identities of these political operatives who have attempted to defame” Stitt. He said he “intends to root out corruption, beginning with the Defendants” who defamed him.
Kingfisher County District Court Clerk Lisa Markus issued a summons June 24 to Common Sense Conservatives, “address unknown,” directing the organization to file a written answer to the lawsuit petition “within 20 days after service of this summons upon you.” If the defendants fail to answer within the allotted time frame, “judgment will be rendered against you with costs of the action.”