[Updates to this post, including its possible impact on the 6th district congressional race, here] 

A defamation lawsuit filed recently pits four members of Conservatives for Guilford County against a no-holds barred blogger in Greensboro.

Douglas Adkins, whose wife, Isabella Adkins is one of the most prominent members of the local political action committee, filed a defamation suit against blogger Jeff Martin of Greensboro.

Jeff Sykes covers the story.

I'm not a lawyer, but I've seen the lawsuit and this looks like a very heavy lift for the plaintiffs. 

Fec's stuff is often scabrous (even when it's not written in the voice of fictional transvestite Hooter's waitress Tami Tightenloud, as I believe to have been the case for at least some of the offending posts) but that doesn't mean public figures can shut him up. 

At his best, Fecund Stench is Guilford County's own, digital H.L. Mencken (and like Mencken, his use of racial and religious stereotypes can be an issue). At his not-best, duck.

Unfortunately, he disappeared his blog when the suit was served. I hope it can be reconstructed.

I'd expect a legal defense fund to be established for Martin if this goes on much further. 

Comments

[triadwatch]

web site is down at FEC

[Fec]

Thanks for all your help, Ed.

It's a little hectic here today. I'll try to write something tonight.

Sykes turns out to be the perfect choice.

[Kim]

Now they are REALLY going to bring some attention to themselves.

[Andrew Brod]

This is more interesting than Obamacare.

[Roch]

"Douglas Adkins, whose wife, Isabella Adkins is one of the most prominent members of the local political action committee, filed a defamation suit against blogger Jeff Martin of Greensboro."

Well, that's not right. Come on, Jeff (Sykes).

[Don Moore]

May be Jeff can move in with Billy and his chickens.

[Roch]

OK, I see the distinction he's making. Sorry, Jeff (Sykes).

[Janet Wright]

"Douglas Adkins is the owner of gentlemen’s clubs in Greensboro where women perform seminude in return for cash." -- Sykes

Can we please not call these places "gentlemen's clubs?" There isn't a "gentleman" to be found in any of them. Otherwise, nice writing.

[Andrew Brod]

My FB comment:

The plaintiffs should lose solely because the Complaint refers to blog posts, i.e. entries on a blog, as "blogs." Feh.

[NitWitCharmer]

The plaintiffs should lose solely because the Complaint refers to blog posts, i.e. entries on a blog, as "blogs." Feh

Agreed...

That said, as long as being offensive is considered an offence, FEC deserves a Donald Sterling like spanking for being offensive.

[Andrew Brod]

It's a very short Complaint. I didn't see the original Fec posts, but I presume that paragraphs 9-11 are taken at least in part from stories related by Ms. Tightenloud, in which case there's a lot of context missing here re satirical content. Of course, it's not the plaintiffs' job to provide that context in the Complaint. But Fec's attorneys certainly will.

Jeff Sykes writes that "the suit also objects to Martin writing about Brett Riddleberger’s conviction for indecent liberties with a minor." I don't think that's accurate. It's not that Fec mentioned the conviction, because the conviction is a fact, but apparently that he misstated the charges. Whether or not "child molesting" is close enough is something the court will decide.

Paragraph 12 is totally bogus.

Fec's an asshole, but I agree that this suit seems a stretch.

[Spag]

Guess how many people in the public at large are aware of Barrett's convictions and the Adkins strip club ownership? Everyone now!

What a dumb lawsuit to file politically and personally. Hey conservatives, want to align with us NOW?? Betcha didn't know about THIS! Hey let's give the local media an excuse to sort through our dirty laundry.

Anyway, I don't expect a legal defense fund for Jeff either. He burned way too many bridges.

[Ed Cone]

Sam, any thoughts on the merits of the suit itself?

[David Hoggard]

Haven't read Jeff's blog in a while, but sure I was had been keeping up better.

I just read the excerpts quoted in the filing. Funny, funny stuff.

"... (C4GC) established by wads of bills still damp from the garters of strippers." "Erectile Narcolepsy"... I mean, come on... this is just plain comedy. The judge will have to go to his private chambers to read the thing lest he be observed snickering at the prose.

But, seriously... one of the the C4GC stalwarts owns strip clubs? Who knew? Apparently Jeff did.

And I agree with Sam. Real dumb thing to have done. I sorta pay attention and even I didn't know about the strip club ownership nor a certain "silver corset" until reading the particulars in the lawsuit.

[Hugh]

How many times have civil lawsuits been filed with no intention of them ever seeing a jury but cost the defendant legal fees and created strife in the home until the suit was dismissed or dropped?

[spag]

The strip club ownership has been an open secret for awhile.

[Laurie]

Hee hee hee. And here I thought that the Greensboro blogosphere had gotten boring and was farting around on Facebook. Thanks, Jeffs.

[Lex]

I also don't think this suit was filed with intent to win. I think it was filed in an attempt to break Fec financially, end of story. If he gets free or low-cost legal help, the discovery should be REALLY entertaining.

[john hayes]

prediction: the pay-per view version of the blog gets resurrected soon. Will you resist?

[hartzman]

His series on working as a temp laborer should be archived at the gso historical musuem.

[Fec]

Ron Coleman is the pro-bono shiznit.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/223663234/Correspondence-Coleman-to-Culbertson-May-12-2014

[Andrew Brod]

"We see no reason to doubt that a cooperative resolution of this matter is the likely outcome."

That's no fun.

[Fec]

Look, Brod. When MSNBC calls, I'm gonna call them turnips and I'm gonna give you attribution.

[Fec]

The blog will not be coming back. It is buried and will remain that way. That is precisely what it deserves. It was performance art and that is all.

[Fec]

The thing you may not understand is I am a musician who blogs. I only have interest in the ephemeral.

[Tony Wilkins]

but you took us dancing...in the fountains at Grandover.

[Fec]

Good times.

[Hartzman]

...and on the back roads of southern shores...

[Fec]

T-Dub, you nailed it. Even if you found that post it wouldn't make any sense because it was an homage to Generation Kill on HBO at the time.

[Ben Holder]

Tami Tightenloud isn't a real person?

[John]

I know all about the Riddleberger escapade (more than I care to know, actually). But I was not aware of Atkins owning a strip club. Which one is it?

[Andrew Brod]

A little searching shows that Doug Adkins owns the Copa Rocka Cantina in northeast Greensboro.

[Robert Hodgman]

I'm just wondering, but what is the relationship of Jeff Hyde to these people. He seems to be a friend of Jodi and Barrett Riddelberger in C4GC and is also co-founder of the "Justice for All in NC" PAC that viciously attacked Justice Robin Hudson in the Supreme Court non-partisan primary race she won, in its disgraceful attack ad that she somehow "sided with child molesters"
Seems like that might be Mr.Hyde's problem instead, if he is friends with Barrett.I never knew of the indecent liberties conviction of riddleberger until I traced Mr.Hyde back to this PAC and learned he was a founder of C4GC, too.
Gosh,the hypocracy.

[David Boyd]

Mirage Exotic Nightlife too.

[David Boyd]

The Nature of Business line on the Tate Street Investments annual report is answered with Performing Arts. Haha.

[David Boyd]

He also owns Burnt Poplar Properties which looks like Mirage. He's a titty bar magnate!

[NitWitCharmer]

Davis Boyd, do you find anything wrong with these activities?

[Billy Jones]

Actually, despite Jeff Martin's claim that "It is buried and will remain that way" it appears that Dr John Hayes is correct in saying a pay per view version could be resurrected.

Gotta watch that Martin fellow, he's a sly one. Wouldn't know the truth if it bit him.

[Billy Jones]

He Ed Cone, I thought you said Jeff Martin settled the suit. Why would his blog be alive again if he settled? Before it was dead, not it's password protected-- what gives?