Trump surrogate Carl Paladino and former Trump adviser Roger Stone face a defamation suit that a New York judge ruled recently will go to trial in September.
The suit, launched by 2010 New York Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Warren Redlich, accuses Paladino, Stone, and 2010 GOP gubernatorial campaign manager for Paladino, Michael Caputo, of defaming Redlich.
In 2010, Stone was a campaign strategist for New York Independent gubernatorial candidate Kristin Davis. Davis described herself as an ex-madam who put forth prostitutes for former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer
The suit focuses on a mailer drawn up as a “sexual predator alert” that described Redlich as a “sick twisted pervert” who “defends sex with children,” The Albany Times Union reported.
The mailer references a comment made by Redlich following the release of Miley Cyrus photos in 2008 where Redlich asks in a blog post at the time why there is a “hubbub” about “racy” photos of the young starlet who was under at 18 at the time. Redlich wondered “how Puritanism is still so prevalent in America.”
At the time the mailer went out, NY State of Politics asked Caputo if he was behind the false allegations.
“Why in the Hell would do we that? That would be like Bill Clinton mailing against Pat Paulson in New Hampshire in 1996. You don’t mess with the comic relief; you just get clown white all over yourself and he gets attention,” Caputo said.
Stone told the Times-Union in 2010 he wanted the makers of the mailer, People for a Safer New York, to put the material out and defended the mailer’s message, while Paladino and Caputo told the Times-Union there is no evidence that links them to the flyer.
Redlich balked at Caputo’s denial and referenced a Wall Street Journal quote where Caputo said that Redlich is “so busy leering at teen girls and pushing for legalized narcotics that Carl wouldn’t want his vote anyway.”
According to The Altamont Enterprise, the mailer identified the sender as “People for a Safer New York.”
Redlich told The Altamont Enterprise the reason for his suit is that “There are bad people in politics.” He added, “They can’t compete with good people on a level playing field. The rotten people survive because they throw mud at the good people. It drives the good people out… The way you hold people accountable is they have to pay.”
Redlich says if he wins he would use the money to create a non-profit that “tracks the evil consultants and notifies the local media.”
Redlich added that there are good and bad political consultants and “Roger Stone is very skilled, but he is evil.”
“The only way to hold them accountable is to hold candidates responsible for what their consultants do,” he said, concluding, “Voters should always be aware who the candidates choose to work with.”
Stone did not respond to The Daily Caller for comment and Paladino’s attorney did not respond to the Altamont Enterprise for comment either.
