Democratic CD3 candidate Susie Lee. (Campaign photo)
Democratic congressional candidate Susie Lee has formally responded to the cease and desist letter sent by her Republican opponent Danny Tarkanian requesting her and her campaign retract statements about his past business dealings:
No.
Last week in a letter to Lee, Tarkanian’s lawyer, Mark Randazza accused the Lee campaign of “publishing multiple defamatory statements” on social media and elsewhere related to his role in setting up telemarketing companies, which were later convicted of fraud.
In the letter, Tarkanian offered to “waive any claims against” Lee and her campaign if they agree to retract the statements from all online and print media publications, issue a public apology and promise not to repeat the statements in the future.
Lee’s campaign counsel, Todd Bice, responded in a letter Monday stating that “Contrary to the letter’s threats, the statements identified are accurate, fair and protected speech” and that Lee’s campaign would not retract their statements and “will continue to highlight for the voters the stark difference between the candidates’ records.”
In 2009, Tarkanian was awarded $150,000 in damages after his 2004 opponent for state senate Mike Schneider ran ads against Tarkanian about the same issue. Tarkanian filed a still-unsettled lawsuit against Rep. Jacky Rosen over the issue after she defeated him in the 2016 congressional race.
Lee and Tarkanian are running for Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District, Tarkanian entered the House race in March, exiting a Republican primary challenge against Sen. Dean Heller following a tweet from Donald Trump suggesting that he do so.
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