Republican U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde is suing multiple TV stations for defamation due to airing a political ad aimed at him.
This stems from WinSenate, a PAC, that purchased airtime to run a political ad targeting Eric Hovde on numerous TV stations throughout the state, including parent companies of local stations such as FOX11 and WBAY.
These companies include Sinclair Communications (WVTV-TV), Scripps Media (WGBA-TV), and Gray Media (WBAY-TV) among the seven total media outlets.
Hovde’s legal counsel laid out three statements from the ad that they believe are defamatory.
The first is labeling Hovde as a “California Banker” which they feel is plainly misleading.
WinSenate’s legal counsel’s response to this claim stated that the label “California Banker” is entirely accurate because Hovde is the Chairman and CEO of Sunwest Bank which was founded in Tustin, California and has more locations in California than any other state, including zero locations in Wisconsin.
The next statement in the ad that Hovde feels defames him states he is “now sheltering his wealth in shady tax havens around the world.”
The response to this from WinSenate alludes to the fact that Hovde’s own campaign has admitted he has done business in Bermuda and the Cayman Islands which they state are notorious tax heavens.
It is also noted that Hovde takes exception to the claim he “now” does business in tax heavens.
The last statement in the ad Hovde feels to be defamatory claims his “family rigged the system to rake in thirty million in government subsidies and loans.”
Additionally, Hovde and his legal counsel stated that “there is no way to rig the system.”
WinSenate’s response claims that the campaign’s own letter acknowledges that Hovde’s development company received subsidies and loans from Wisconsin local governments that were not available to the general public.
The defamation case was filled on August 9th in Brown County however, according to court records, there has been no responses filed in court by any of the seven media outlets and no upcoming hearings scheduled for the case.
