OKLAHOMA CITY – State Labor Commissioner Leslie Osborn’s campaign manager sued her GOP challenger, state Rep. Sean Roberts, for libel and slander, eight days after Roberts sued another legislator for slander.
Political consultant Fount Holland and Campaign Advocacy Management Professionals LLC, which Holland founded, filed suit against Roberts in Osage County District Court on Aug. 24, the day after the statewide runoff primary election.
Osborn retained CAMP and Holland as her political advisers. Osborn (R-Mustang) defeated Roberts (R-Hominy) for the GOP nomination in her bid for a second four-year term.
In his lawsuit petition Holland cites an Aug. 8 press release, Aug. 18 posts on Facebook and Twitter, and an Aug. 23 social media post/statement. In those, Roberts:
• Branded Holland as a “corrupt consultant.”
• Claimed that Holland his clients “have harassed and personally attacked women.”
• Repeatedly referred to Osborn as “Liberal Leslie” and blamed the “liberal media” for his loss in the runoff election.
• Alleged that Holland and Joy Hofmeister were arrested in 2016 “for illegally coordinating with dark money PACs” during her first campaign for State Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2014.
• Wrote that he “will not be surprised to see Fount Holland and Leslie Osborn indicted, just as Fount Holland and Joy Hofmeister were indicted for illegal coordination…”
In 2016 Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater charged Hofmeister with campaign fundraising violations and conspiracy, accusing her of illegal collusion with a “dark money” group to win her first election as state school superintendent. Prater also charged Holland, Hofmeister’s chief campaign consultant, with conspiracy.
Prater dismissed all of the charges against Hofmeister, 57, of Tulsa, and Holland, 59, of Tahlequah, less than a year later, in 2017. No record of those charges can be found today on the Oklahoma State Courts Network.
In his lawsuit Holland claims that he has “no legal record of any criminal history and that he has “never even been required to pay the most minor of ethics fine.”
Holland contends the accusations Roberts leveled against him were “false, malicious, and/or negligent or recklessly made without knowledge of their truth or falsity.” Even if he were a public figure, Holland asserts, “Roberts is liable for these actions because they evidence malice.”
In his lawsuit, Holland charges Roberts with slander and libel, with false light invasion of privacy, and with negligence.
Holland requests actual damages “in excess of $75,000” and punitive damages – because of “the aggravated nature of Roberts’ actions” – in “an amount to be determined” by the court, along with attorney fees, court costs, pre- and post-judgment interest “and all other relief the Court may deem just and equitable.”
Roberts sued Rep. Bush
over divorce allegations
Roberts filed a slander lawsuit against one of the female GOP legislators who called on him to bow out of the State Labor Commissioner’s race after allegations surfaced that he abused and mistreated his ex-wife two decades ago.
Roberts sued Rep. Carol Bush, R-Tulsa, in Tulsa County District Court on Aug. 16, eight days after she and four other female lawmakers held a news conference in which they urged Roberts to withdraw from the statewide race.
Roberts alleges Bush “falsely claimed” that he has “committed acts of abuse and domestic violence against his ex-wife.” Bush’s comments “constitute slander per se,” Roberts claims. Bush “acted with malice, as she knew the statement were false, or in the alternative, made the statements … in reckless disregard as to the truth or falsity of said statements…”
Roberts is seeking “in excess of $75,000” in damages from Bush. No hearing date had been set as of Aug. 27.
Bush is the House of Representatives chair of the bipartisan, bicameral Legislative Women’s Caucus. She was joined at the Aug. 8 news conference by Reps. Toni Hasenbeck, R-Elgin; Cindy Roe, R-Lindsay; Tammy Townley, R-Ardmore; and Sen. Jessica Garvin, R-Duncan.
Bush contributed $500 to the campaign of incumbent Labor Commissioner Leslie Osborn, who is seeking a second four-year term.
Roberts accused Osborn of releasing the public documents that revealed the abuse allegations.
“I was not even acquainted with Mr. Roberts in the timeframe” reflected in the court documents, Osborn said, “so this is certainly nothing orchestrated by me or by my campaign.”
Roberts’ then-wife filed for a protective order against him in 2002 as they were in the process of separating. In her request, Jennifer Roberts claimed her then-husband hit and disparaged her during their marriage. Jennifer Roberts also expressed concerns about Sean Roberts following her while they were separated, and a judge later determined he had illegally wiretapped her phone.
A Tennessee judge granted the couple a divorce in 2003. In approving the divorce, the judge determined that both parties were guilty of inappropriate marital conduct. Both adults called each other vile names, and both spoke ill of each other in front of their children, the judge said.
In comments released by Roberts’ campaign, his current wife and ex-wife both defended him as a good man and a loving husband and father.
Jennifer Roberts, in an Aug. 1 letter released by Roberts’ campaign, wrote that she has nothing derogatory to say about her ex-husband, with whom she has become friendly in recent years. His current wife, Amber, said her husband is a God-fearing man.
Holland also filed
another slander suit
Holland and CAMP also filed a slander suit in Tulsa County District Court against Jarrin Jackson, an unsuccessful state Senate candidate, on Aug. 19.
Jackson, like Roberts, is accused by Holland and CAMP of slander and libel, false light invasion of privacy, and negligence. Cited in the lawsuit are a mailer, a radio commercial and a television ad that Jackson’s campaign issued during the week of Aug. 15 while Holland was advising Ally Seifried in her runoff campaign.
Holland is seeking $75,000 in actual damages plus punitive damages in an unspecific amount.
Jackson, 36, was vying with Seifried, 29, of Claremore, for the Republican nomination to succeed District 2 state Sen. Marty Quinn of Claremore. Seifried received 54% of the vote in the Aug. 23 runoff; Jackson, 46%.