Jury: Democratic PAC defamed Roy Moore, awards him $8.2M
A federal jury awarded Republican Roy Moore $8.2 million in damages Friday after finding a Democratic-aligned super PAC defamed him in a TV ad recounting sexual misconduct accusations during his failed 2017 U.S. Senate bid in Alabama. Jurors found the Senate Majority PAC made false and defamatory statements against Moore in one ad that attempted to highlight the accusations against Moore. The verdict, returned by a jury after a brief trial in Anniston, Alabama, was a victory for Moore, who has lost other defamation lawsuits, including one against comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. “We’re very thankful to God for an opportunity to help restore my reputation, which was severely damaged by the 2017 election,” Moore said in a telephone interview. Ben Stafford, an attorney representing Senate Majority PAC, said in an emailed statement that they believe the ruling would be overturned on appeal. Moore, a former Republican judge known for his hardline stances opposing same-sex marriage and supporting the public display of Ten Commandments, lost the 2017 Senate race after his campaign was rocked by misconduct allegations against him. Leigh Corfman told The Washington Post and said Moore sexually touched her in 1979 when she was 14 and he was a 32-year-old assistant district attorney. Moore denied the accusation. Other women said Moore dated them or asked them out on dates when they were older teens. The accusations against Moore contributed to his loss to Democrat Doug Jones, the first Democrat to represent Alabama in the Senate in a quarter-century. The seat returned to Republican control with the 2020 election of Tommy Tuberville, a former college football coach. Senate Majority PAC funded a group called Highway 31 that ran a $4 million advertising blitz against Moore. The lawsuit centered on one TV commercial that recounted accusations against Moore. Moore’s attorneys argued the ad, through the juxtaposition of statements, falsely claimed he solicited sex from young girls at a shopping mall, including another 14-year-old who was working as a Santa’s helper, and that resulted in him being banned from the mall. The advertisement began with: “What do people who know Roy Moore say?” It followed with the statements “Moore was actually banned from the Gadsden mall … for soliciting sex from young girls” and “One he approached was 14 and working as Santa’s helper.” Wendy Miller had previously testified that she met Moore when she was 14 and working as a Santa’s helper at the local mall. She testified Moore told her she was pretty, asked her where she went to high school, and offered to buy her a soda. He asked her out two years later, but her mother told her she could not go. Moore’s attorneys argued the juxtaposition of statements in the ad painted Moore in a false light and falsely made it look like he was soliciting sex from girls at the mall. “In their ad, they strung quotes together to make a single statement. That’s what the jury found offensive. They got up and lied and said they didn’t intend that,” Jeffrey Scott Wittenbrink, an attorney for Moore, said. The Senate Majority PAC had argued the ad was substantially true and that there were widespread reports about Moore’s inappropriate behavior at the mall. An attorney said they planned to appeal. According to a Thursday court filing from Senate Majority, a Gadsden police officer who worked as security at the Gadsden Mall in the late 1970s — J.D. Thomas — testified that he told Moore not to return to the mall after receiving complaints from store managers that Moore was asking out teen employees or making them uncomfortable. Moore maintained he was never banned from the mall. “No amount of deflection or distraction from Roy Moore will change the fact that multiple individuals testified under oath to corroborate credible accusations against him. Many others have come forward to make their allegations public, at serious personal cost. We do not think this verdict is the right decision, but we believe the facts are clear, and this ruling will be overturned on appeal,” Stafford, an attorney representing Senate Majority PAC, said in an emailed statement. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Roy Moore’s defamation suit against Sacha Baron Cohen rejected
An appeals court on Thursday rejected a $95 million defamation lawsuit against comedian Sacha Baron Cohen filed by former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, who said he was tricked into a television appearance that lampooned sexual misconduct accusations against him. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan, upholding a lower court’s ruling in favor of Baron Cohen, said Moore signed a disclosure agreement that prohibited any legal claims over the appearance. The three judges also found it was “clearly comedy” when Baron Cohen demonstrated a so-called pedophile detector that beeped when it got near Moore and no viewer would think the comedian was making factual allegations against Moore. The lawsuit centered on Moore’s unwitting appearance on the comic’s “Who is America?” show. The segment ran after Moore faced misconduct accusations during Alabama’s 2017 U.S. Senate race that he had pursued sexual and romantic relationships with teens when he was a man in his 30s. He denied the allegations. Moore, a Republican known for his hardline stances opposing same-sex marriage and supporting the public display of Ten Commandments, had been told he was receiving an award for supporting Israel. But in the segment, Baron Cohen appeared as faux counterterrorism instructor “Col. Erran Morad” discussing bogus military technology, including the supposed pedophile detector. The fake device beeped repeatedly as it got near Moore, who sat stone-faced. “Baron Cohen may have implied (despite his in-character disclaimers of any belief that Judge Moore was a pedophile) that he believed Judge Moore’s accusers, but he did not imply the existence of any independent factual basis for that belief besides the obviously farcical pedophile detecting ‘device,’ which no reasonable person could believe to be an actual, functioning piece of technology,” the court wrote in the unsigned summary order. Moore and his wife, Kayla, sued, arguing that the segment defamed Moore and caused them emotional distress. The couple claimed the waiver Moore signed was unenforceable because it was obtained under a false representation. The appellate court noted that it was indeed a ruse that got Moore to appear on the show but Moore signed a binding release waiving all legal claims. The accusations against Moore contributed to his loss to Democrat Doug Jones, the first Democrat to represent Alabama in the Senate in a quarter-century. The seat returned to Republican control when Jones lost the following election to Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a former college football coach. Baron Cohen has for years lured unwitting politicians into awkward interviews. He has faced past lawsuits over similar pranks, but those were also tossed out because the individuals had signed releases. Moore and his wife indicated they will appeal. “For far too long the American people have been subjected to the antics of Sasha Baron Cohen. His pusillanimous and fraudulent conduct must be stopped. We will appeal,” the couple said in a statement texted to The Associated Press. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Comedian Sacha Baron Cohen asks judge to dismiss Roy Moore lawsuit
Comedian Sacha Baron Cohen asked a federal judge to dismiss Roy Moore’s defamation lawsuit over a television segment that lampooned Moore in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations. Lawyers for Baron Cohen, Showtime Networks and CBS wrote last week in a joint court filing that Moore signed an agreement waiving all legal claims before appearing on the “Who is America?” segment. They said in the agreement that Moore waived claims related to the program and anyone associated with it. They also said the segment was satire and is protected under the First Amendment. “This lawsuit conflicts directly with the long tradition of First Amendment protection for political parody and satire of public figures — especially where the satirical work ‘could not reasonably have been interpreted as stating actual facts about the public figure involved,’” lawyers wrote. The segment ran after Moore faced misconduct accusations during the 2017 Senate race in Alabama. He has denied the allegations and is running for Senate again in 2020. Moore said he was told he was receiving an award for supporting Israel when he agreed to appear on the show. Instead, Baron Cohen lampooned him as a possible pedophile. In the segment, Baron Cohen appeared as faux counterterrorism instructor “Col. Erran Morad,” discussing bogus military technology, including a supposed pedophile detector. The device repeatedly beeped as it got near Moore, who sat stone-faced. Moore argued that the waiver was fraudulently obtained because it did not disclose he was dealing with the comic. Baron Cohen has faced past lawsuits over similar pranks, but those actions were tossed because the individuals had signed releases. In 2008, a New York judge tossed out lawsuits brought by a driving instructor and two etiquette school teachers who said they were duped into appearing in the movie “Borat” in which Baron Cohen plays an awkward foreign journalist traveling the United States. The judge said they accepted money and signed agreements releasing the filmmakers from liability. Moore agreed to accept $200 for the charity of his choice, according to the agreement.Moore filed the lawsuit in Washington, D.C., but it was moved to New York, where the agreement mandates that disputes would be heard. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Roy Moore says he was duped into appearing on comedy show
Former U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore says he didn’t know he was dealing with comedian Sacha Baron Cohen when he agreed to appear on a television show, his lawyers wrote in court filings last month. Moore in September filed a $95 million defamation lawsuit over his appearance on Baron Cohen’s “Who is America?” In court filings, Moore argued the agreement he signed waiving legal claims from the appearance is unenforceable because of fraud. Moore said he was told he was receiving an award for supporting Israel and instead was lampooned as a possible pedophile. Moore said the agreement he signed had “zero” mention of Cohen. The segment ran after Moore faced misconduct accusations during the 2017 Senate race in Alabama. He denied the accusations. In the segment, Baron Cohen appeared as faux counterterrorism instructor “Col. Erran Morad,” discussing bogus military technology, including a supposed pedophile detector. The device repeatedly beeped as it got near Moore, who sat stone-faced. Moore signed an agreement with Yerushalayim TV, a company registered in Wyoming, waiving all legal claims from the appearance. Defense lawyers wrote in court filings that Yerushalayim TV is wholly owned by Cohen. Moore’s attorneys wrote that the agreement did not disclose the intent of the program and who was behind it. “The first misrepresentation was that Judge Moore was being flown to Washington D.C. to receive an award for his support of Israel, when in actuality it was so that he could be falsely portrayed as a pedophile on national television. …. It is clear that defendants knew that they had to disguise their identity, otherwise plaintiffs would never have agreed to appear on “Who is America?” Moore’s attorney wrote. The agreement Moore signed mandates disputes will be heard in New York. In the court filing, Moore opposes moving the lawsuit from Washington D.C., where the segment was filmed, to New York. Baron Cohen has faced past lawsuits over similar pranks, but those actions faltered because the individuals had signed releases. A New York judge in 2008 tossed out lawsuits brought by a driving instructor and two etiquette school teachers who said they were duped into appearing in the movie “Borat” in which Baron Cohen plays an awkward foreign journalist traveling the United States. The judge said they accepted money and signed agreements releasing the filmmakers from liability. Moore agreed to accept $200 for the charity of his choice, according to the agreement. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Roy Moore drops defamation lawsuit against Highway 31 Super PAC
Former Alabama Chief Justice and failed U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore dropped one of his many defamation lawsuits on Friday. The lawsuit, originally filed against the Highway 31 Super PAC in July alleged that the PAC ran widespread defamatory and misleading ads during the 2017 race, and doubled-down on accusations of sexual misconduct that surfaced against Moore during the campaign. The suit continued to allege that Highway 31 ran the “false” ads and “intentionally or recklessly failed to confirm the accuracy” of them. “Despite knowing that the content was false or in reckless disregard thereof each one of (the defendants) did in fact run advertisements that contained false and defaming material,” the complaint read. The motion to dismiss did not include a reason for why Moore is dropping the suit. “Roy S. Moore and Kayla Moore hereby voluntarily dismiss this action against all defendants without prejudice,” the court documents state according to WSFA. In November, The Washington Post published a bombshell report with the accounts of Corfman, Gibson, and one other woman who claimed Moore sexually pursued them when he was in his 30s and they were in their teens. Moore previously filed an earlier defamation suit in April when he sued some of the women who made accusations against him — Marjorie Leigh Corfman, Debbie Wesson Gibson, Beverly Young Nelson, Tina Turner Johnson, and other “unknown” defendants — for causing “irrevocable damage” to his reputation “that affected the outcome of the Senate election in December 2017.” Moore filed another suit on Wednesday against Sacha Baron Cohen, CBS and Showtime for fraud, defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. He is currently seeking $95 million in punitive and compensatory damages for a July 29 episode of Cohen’s Showtime series, “Who Is America?”
Roy Moore sues Sacha Baron Cohen $95M for defamation over TV prank
Former Alabama Chief Justice and failed U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore has made good on his threat to sue Sacha Baron Cohen after he was fooled into appearing on Cohen’s Showtime series, “Who Is America?” Moore’s lawsuit, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., is against Cohen, CBS and Showtime for fraud, defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. He’s seeking $95 million in punitive and compensatory damages for a July 29 episode of the series. In the episode, Cohen pranked Moore by posing as an Israeli intelligence officer with an electronic device he said could detect pedophiles. In the clip, Cohen waves the device over himself and nothing happens, then near Moore, and a loud beep is heard. Cohen repeats the demonstration several times showing that the devices is detecting that Moore is a pedophile. Ultimately, Moore ended the interview. “I am simply cutting this conversation right now,” he said. “Good night. I support Israel. I don’t support this kind of stuff.” The viral video clip, which was posted in July has since been viewed over four million times. Now Moore is saying he “suffered extreme emotional distress” for “being falsely portrayed as a sex offender and pedophile.” Moore says he and his wife Kayla never would have agreed to fly to Washington had they known the true reason for the trip — they were lured under the premise he was receiving an award for his “strong support of Israel” on an Israeli television network. Kayla, is also named as a plaintiff in the case. “Defendant Cohen’s character falsely and fraudulently introduced a false and fraudulent ‘device’ supposedly invented by the Israeli Army to detect pedophiles,” read the complaint. “During the segment, Defendant Cohen’s ‘device’ — as part of the false and fraudulent routine — purports to detect Judge Moore as a sex offender, thus defaming him.” Moore’s lawyer, Larry Klayman, in a prepared statement released Wednesday said said Moore is a man of “great faith, morality and intellect.” “Judge Moore, a man of great faith, morality and intellect, is one of the finest people I have ever known. Sasha Baron Cohen, who is not only low class but also a fraudster, will now, along with Showtime and CBS, be held accountable for his outrageous and false, fraudulent and defamatory conduct which callously did great emotional and other damage to his great man and his wife and family,” Klayman said. Representatives for Cohen have not responded to any requests for comment. Showtime has told several outlets the network does not comment on pending litigation and isn’t aware of having been served with a lawsuit. “The press has been sent copies of an alleged complaint, yet to our knowledge SHOWTIME has not been served. With that said, we do not comment on pending litigation,” Showtime said in a statement. Moore has filed several defamation lawsuits this year including one against the Highway 31 Super PAC accusing them of running widespread defamatory and misleading ads during the 2017 race, and another suit against several women for “irrevocable damage” to his reputation. Moore came first came under fire in November 2017 when the Washington Post published a bombshell report that accused Moore of pursuing a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old girl in 1979. In the wake of that accusation, several other women stepped forward making similar claims. Moore has denied the allegations. View the full complaint below:
