Ex-lawmaker White sues Ortitay, others for defamation
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Former state Rep. Jesse White is suing state Rep. Jason Ortitay, the Republican Party of Pennsylvania, the state House Republican Campaign Committee and the state Family Institute for defamation following the distribution of paid advertisements during the 2014 general election campaign in which White lost his 46th District seat to Ortitay.
White filed two lawsuits Tuesday in Washington County Court.
White alleges Ortitay, the state Republican Party and the state House Republican Campaign Committee circulated fliers and direct mail ads that stated he supported “a 40 percent income tax increase on the middle class” prior to the election. The fliers cite White’s Facebook page and an Aug. 7 article in The Morning Call for the statement.
“The claim that Jesse White supports a 40 percent income tax increase on the middle class is a complete, total and utterly false statement,” White said in the lawsuit. “The plaintiff has never published any statement of any kind on his Facebook page or anywhere else, which would indicate he supports the tax increase referenced in the campaign ads.”
White further added that his name was not included in The Morning Call article.
Additionally, White alleges the family institute, also known as the state Family Council, circulated fliers less than a week before the election saying “Jesse White is standing with Planned Parenthood.” The flier noted White “joined Pennsylvania’s largest abortion business by voting against the standards.”
The flier was about Senate Bill 732, which required abortion clinics to conform to health care standards applied to all surgical facilities. White said he actually voted in favor of the bill.
“In fact, on Dec. 13, 2011, plaintiff voted in favor of SB 732, which is the exact opposite of the claim made by the defendants in the flier.”
White is also suing the defendants for commercial disparagement, claiming their actions affected his personal law firm and reputation, and caused mental anguish and financial losses.
Ortitay and the state House Republican Campaign Committee did not return calls for comment. Megan Sweeney, the communications director for the Republican Party of Pennsylvania, and Randy Wenger, chief council for the Family Council, declined to comment.
He is seeking an excess of $50,000 in each lawsuit.