Wyoming U.S. House candidate Reid Rasner sued a fifth person for defamation Friday, this time in federal court.
That brings the total case count to four.
Rasner is vying for the GOP nomination for Wyoming’s lone U.S. House of Representatives seat, in a crowded field also comprising state Senate President Bo Biteman, former Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow, Secretary of State Chuck Gray and two Casper-based military veterans: David Giralt and Kevin Christensen.
The primary election is Aug. 18.
Rasner first sued former state Sen. Anthony Bouchard, a Cheyenne-area Republican, for defamation last July, saying Bouchard spread false claims that Rasner had committed sexual misconduct.
That case is at least viable enough to proceed to the evidence-swapping phase, a judge ruled in November.
Then in February, Rasner sued the man court documents call the source of Bouchard’s claim, former state Rep. Austin “Kit” Jennings, a Casper Republican.
And in March, Rasner sued Bar Nunn Town Councilman Dan Sabrosky, and Sabrosky’s ex-wife Michelle St. Louis.
All four people sued face defamation and other claims in Wyoming’s state district court system.
On Thursday, the candidate filed a federal action in U.S. District Court against a fifth person, Michael Leonard Cooley Jr, of Iowa.
Civil cases that battle over amounts greater than $75,000 and which involve residents of different states go to federal, not state court.
“Like many other prominent businessmen and politicians, Mr. Rasner has been the victim of individuals making hateful and untrue statements about him, aimed at defaming his character, stifling his political career, and harming his business interests,” says Rasner’s latest civil lawsuit complaint.
On multiple occasions, the complaint alleges, Cooley “made knowingly false and highly salacious allegations against Mr. Rasner that any reasonable person would have known were untrue.”
Because Rasner is a public figure, he has to demonstrate more egregious behavior to win a defamation case: he has to prove that the people defaming him either knew they were lying or recklessly disregarded the truth.
Cooley on Feb. 1 under one of Rasner’s Facebook posts posted, “This guy is a pedophile. Republican party is the right fit for you,” the complaint says.
On Feb. 27 Cooley repeated the “pedophile” claim, and again on March 1 and March 2, says the document. Cooley used the term “pedo creep” in a March 5 post, the complaint adds.
“Defendant has made multiple other defamatory comments on Facebook and other social media which are not set forth here,” the document says, adding that Cooley did so with “the malicious intent to harm Plaintiff’s personal and professional reputation.”
Cowboy State Daily was unable to reach Cooley for comment by publication time.
The Tally
Rasner is asserting three causes of action: defamation per se, tortious interference with a contract and with a prospective economic advantage, and negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
He’s asking for damages for the alleged harms, plus punitive damages – in amounts to be proved at trial.
Rasner’s complaint says Cooley’s behavior has hurt his business, past and future earnings, and other prospective economic advantages. Those claims go to the interference with contract claim.
As for the defamation claim, it’s “per se,” meaning Rasner asserts that the things Cooley said about him were so obviously defamatory, they don’t have to be linked to specific damages to leave Cooley liable.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
