PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — A Portsmouth judge ruled a defamation lawsuit against former Portsmouth Vice Mayor Lisa Lucas-Burke can move forward.
Lawsuit filed against Lucas-Burke over campaign ad
Portsmouth businessman Dwight Schaubach took Lucas-Burke to court after she put a campaign ad on air that stated Schaubach, who owns Elizabeth Manor Golf and Country Club, had not paid taxes, and that he was getting preferential treatment from city government.The political ad was profiled in a WAVY-TV 10 Truth Tracker report. We pointed out the owner who did not pay taxes was the owner before Schaubach.
Truth Tracker: Lisa Lucas-Burke vs. Shannon Glover for Portsmouth mayor
The judge decided Lucas-Burke’s ad may have been against Shannon Glover, but Schaubach got swept into it through innuendo, and Schaubach’s attorney, Rhiannon Jordan, said that damaged his reputation.
“He was unfairly brought into a political fight, or an argument, to benefit Lisa Lucas-Burke when he had nothing to do with Mayor Glover, a lawsuit, or whether or not the golf and country club was receiving tax benefits,” Jordan said.
Said Lucas-Burke attorney Alexis Bale: “Again, we don’t disagree with that sentiment. This was an ad directed at Mayor Glover. This had to do with a political campaign that was ongoing at this time, which frankly, had nothing to do with Mr. Schaubach as an individual, or even with the golf course itself. It was directed toward Mayor Glover.”…