Further on the pleading being brought by the family of Rep. Dawnna Dukes, claiming they were defamed by her primary challenger Brian Thompson. Thompson, who is named as the sole defendant in the case, called the Chronicle to confirm that an ad over which the family is issuing a defamation pleading did not come from his campaign.
“I had nothing to do with the production of that thing that has only been on YouTube,” he added. Thompson’s campaign was responsible for a second ad named in the pleading, which contains the phrase “Dukes hides her sister’s contract while her family profits”, but it’s the second one, actually credited to the Austin Toll Party, that the pleading cites at greatest length.
Thompson has not actually seen the pleading yet, because he has not received a copy, and so has had to work from reports. “They have sent it out to the media before they served me, so it has no legal standing,” he said. “You usually try to serve the person first.”
When asked earlier today if she had any comment about her family’s pleading, Dukes (who is not named as a plaintiff) said that “My family would have to speak for themselves.”
This article appears in February 29 • 2008.
