Reid Rasner, who placed fifth in last Tuesday’s Republican primary election for Wyoming’s lone U.S. House seat, is suing a sixth person for defamation.
The other four lawsuits with five defendants were filed before the Aug. 18 primary. This one, against a Missouri-based civil rights attorney whose Facebook page says he fights “on the side of righteousness and goodness,” was filed in federal court Monday.
Rasner’s lawsuit alleges the attorney, Kevin Baldwin, wrote false comments under Rasner’s Facebook posts accusing him of sexual misconduct.
“Is Reid W. Rasner a pedo protector?” says one comment included in the lawsuit complaint via apparent screenshot. “Can he be trusted with our children? When will he tell us what happened Memorial Day weekend, 2008 on Epstein Island?”
Rasner has never been to “Epstein Island” and didn’t ever know Jeffrey Epstein, the complaint says.
The complaint includes other comments, allegedly by Baldwin, asking if Rasner is “raping?”
“Defendant Baldwin continued his hateful false statements on numerous other occasions,” the complaint says.
Suing A Public Figure
The complaint alleges Baldwin made other comments in print and orally.
“These social media posts were made by Defendant with malicious intent to harm Plaintiff’s personal and professional reputation,” the suit alleges. “Defendant knew or should have known that the statements were false at the time they were made.”
It’s harder for a public figure to sue for defamation than lesser-known figures. A public figure has to show the people who allegedly defamed him knew they were lying or acted with reckless disregard to whether they were lying.
The complaint says Rasner has lost customers at his financial management firm due in part to Baldwin’s comments.
The complaint accuses Baldwin of defamation “per se,” which comprises defamation so outrageous the plaintiff doesn’t have to show specific harms. It also alleges tortious interference with a contract and prospective economic advantage, and negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The suit asks for damages addressing past and future mental anguish and emotional distress, loss of past and future economic advantage and opportunity, permanent damage to Rasner’s reputation, and defamation per se damages allowed under Wyoming law.
Rasner is also asking for punitive damages, to punish Baldwin.
Baldwin did not immediately respond to a late-day message request for comment.
Fifth Or Sixth Rodeo
This marks at least Rasner’s fifth defamation lawsuit and sixth defamation defendant. He settled an earlier federal case against an Iowa dad who also reportedly cast aspersions on Rasner’s high-profile Facebook page.
The page is a fountain of commentary, videos, reels and political statements. During Rasner’s campaign, many commenters asked whether he was running as a parody.
Wyoming politicos said he was not.
Rasner spent more than $2 million on his House campaign.
Rasner has at least three defamation lawsuits ongoing in Wyoming state courts as well: one against former legislator Anthony Bouchard, another against former legislator Austin “Kit” Jennings,” and a third against divorced couple Dan Sabrosky and Michelle St. Louis.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
