GOP Chair Sues Commenter
Kootenai County GOP Central Committee Chairman Tina Jacobson has filed a lawsuit against a Huckleberries Online commenter who goes by the pseudonym "almostinnocentbystander." Jacobson's lawsuit names as defendant "John Doe" and/or "Jane Doe." The Spokesman-Review is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit. Jacobson is claiming that the anonymous commenter "committed a tort of libel by publishing, via the internet, a malicious defamation" on Huckleberries Online about Jacobson during the visit of GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum to Coeur d'Alene in mid-February. According to the lawsuit, "almostinnocentbystander," had commented at Huckleberries Online that "there was $10,000 missing from the Republican Central Committee funds and that the missing funds were hidden on the person of Mrs. Jacobson." The suit goes on to say that Huckleberries blogger D.F. Oliveria removed the comment. The complaint adds that Oliveria and the Spokesman-Review refused to provide the identity of the commenter to Jacobson. The lawsuit seeks damages from the anonymous poster for alleged libel and an injunction to prevent future acts of libel. It is expected that, as part of the litigation, the plaintiff will seek to learn the identity of the anonymous poster. You can read the complaint for yourself here.