(MENAFN- EIN Presswire) Mike Erickson
CLACKAMAS COUNTY, OREGON, USA, May 25, 2023/einpresswire.com / -- The Court concluded, "The Salinas Committee published a false statement of material fact with knowledge or reckless disregard that it was false."
RE: 2022 Congressional election in Oregon CD 6
Case No. 22CV33968
A Clackamas County Court has now made available the 127-page transcript detailing the Judge's review and decision on whether to "strike" the Mike Erickson defamation lawsuit filed against Andrea Salinas in December of 2022. The transcript reveals the Court's concerns about the truthfulness of the Salinas advertisement. "[T]he Court concludes that the Erickson Committee has made a sufficient showing that the statements" made by the Salinas Campaign about Mike Erickson "were not true." (Transcript page 94).
The Ruling details the false advertisements made by the Andrea Salinas campaign for Congress in 2022 against her opponent, Republican businessman Mike Erickson.
Judge Todd L. Van Rysselberghe commented that the Erickson campaign's lawyers sent a cease-and-desist order to the Salinas campaign explaining that the Hood River District Attorney never filed charges against Mr. Erickson for Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance (one oxycodone pill). However, after the Hood River District Attorney viewed the Salinas campaign's advertisements, charging Mr. Erickson with Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance, they were informed the ads were false. Although the Salinas campaign was advised that its advertisement was false, the Court found that it "declined to change course and continued running the advertisement" in reckless disregard that statements in the advertisement were false (Transcript pages 95-96).
The Court concluded that there were legitimate reasons to believe that "the Salinas Committee published a false statement of material fact with knowledge or reckless disregard that it was false." (Transcript page 96).
The filing is premised upon violating the oregon corrupt practices act, ors 260.005 et seq. (the "Act"). The Act was passed to "secure and protect the purity of the ballot" and to prohibit candidates from making false statements against their opponents. Cook v. Corbett, 251 Or. 263 (1968).
After reviewing the Court's transcript, Mike Erickson made the following statement: "We are very encouraged by the findings and contents of the recently released court document and the recognition by the Judge that false statements were made by Andrea Salinas in the recent Congressional race. It is our opinion that those false statements and advertising absolutely affected the outcome of the election, causing me to lose the election by a few thousand votes out of over 300,000 votes cast, not to mention the damage the advertisements did to me, my family, and my businesses reputation," said Erickson.
"The court documents reveal that Andrea Salinas and her campaign committee knowingly made false statements against me, which we and Salinas knew were not true," said Erickson. "Moreover, the documents show that Salinas was adamant about broadcasting numerous false statements in an effort to win the election." he continued. "Counsel from my committee sent cease and desist letters educating Salinas that I was never charged with a crime. She did not change course and did not stop running her false TV ads. I'm looking forward to the judicial process and bringing these facts forward against her in our defamation–slander lawsuit. Erickson concluded, "The voters of Oregon's Congressional District 6 were deceived by Andrea Salinas."
Salinas has appealed the Judge's decision, which rests in the Oregon Appellate Courts' hands.Chuck Adams
New Media Northwest
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