UPDATED: GOP Chair Bell Sued for Defamation by Sen. Archambault
Wednesday, November 02, 2016
Smithfield State Senator Stephen Archambault has filed a defamation lawsuit against Rhode Island Republican State Party Chair Brandon Bell, claiming that an ad published by Bell was defamatory and "knowingly false.
The lawsuit, filed by Archambault's attorney Tim Robenhymer on Monday, charged Bell and Smithfield GOP Chair James Archer, individually and in their roles as party chairs, with "defamation, false light, and joint and several liability" for alleging Archambault had a role in letting the Town Council President's brother off on a domestic violence charge, while serving as an assistant town solicitor.
UPDATE: On Tuesday evening, GoLocal was notified by Robenhymer that it was his client's intention to amend the complaint to remove Bell from the suit individually. The suit would continue against him in his role as GOP Chair.
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Bell, who said he has not yet been served with the actual suit, responded with the following on Tuesday.
"My comment is Reince Priebus doesn't control the Rhode Island State Republican Party, just like the Rhode Island state party doesn't control the Smithfield Town GOP," said Bell. "I had nothing to do with the ad. And the Republican party is a non-profit corporation."
Archambault is being challenged by Republican Brant Barrows for the seat this election.
Language of Lawsuit
The five page suit filed in Superior Court contains the following language.
"On October 6, 2016, the Defendants with “full knowledge of its falsity” published an ad in the Valley Breeze, which stated :
“Your Democratic controlled Town Council under President Bernie Hawkins hired Archambault to prosecute Smithfield residents - and paid him approximately $140,000 to do it.
That includes participating in the prosecution of Hawkins’ own brother who walked about from a nasty domestic violence incident with barely a wrist slap."
All of the statements referenced herein and published by the Defendants were false and defamatory.
“As a result of the defamatory statements published by the Defendants with knowledge of their falsity, the Plaintiff was damaged in his reputation, embarrassed, ridiculed, expended time and money to rebuff deliberate falsehoods published by the defendants and otherwise damaged."
Lawyer on Record
"The publication itself damages his reputation," said Robenhymer. "They'll read and think he's a prosecutor for the town and prosecutes folks at the request of someone which is completely false."
Robenhymer said the next step was for the summons to come back from court, at which point Bell and Archer would be served.
"As for any damages, well, that would be up to the jury to decide," said Robenhymer.
Editor's Note: A previous version had incorrectly referenced Archambault as a state representative.
Related Slideshow: Lawsuit Against GOP’s Brandon Bell
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