Conservative commentator Candace Owens has emerged victorious in a lawsuit that was filed against her by a Black conservative politician, Kimberly Klacik, who sued the controversial author for over $20 million in the summer of 2021.
According to Law & Crime, in addition to Owens winning the lawsuit, Klacik must also pay a judgment of $115,000 to The Daily Wire host. The lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice
in December. The judgment amount is “inclusive of all claims for attorney’s fees and discretionary costs.”The 2021 lawsuit was filed because of a video that Owens posted on her Instagram account that accused Klacik of committing campaign fraud, laundering money, and illegally using drugs. The post also alleged that Klacik, who lost her bid to be the Maryland Republican representative in Congress to Democratic Rep. Kweisi Mfume
, was the “Madame” of a strip club.“In summary, this case ended as a complete and total win for Ms. Owens, as we promised it would all along,” Owens’s attorney, Daniel Horwitz wrote in an email to The Baltimore Sun. “Hopefully, this landmark win will also deter other politicians from filing baseless SLAPP-suits in the future.”
SLAPP is an acronym for
“Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation.” The decision in favor of Owens falls under Tennessee’s anti-SLAPP law. Her lawyer stated that the amount Owens was awarded is a “record” award of its kind in Tennessee.Horwitz claimed it as a victory for media outlets.
“I will also mention that whatever anyone thinks of the personalities involved, this is a major win for press freedom. People — reporters, media outlets, and media personalities especially — should not have to fear being sued for criticizing or raising questions about politicians. Anti-SLAPP laws like Tennessee’s are crucial to protect that freedom, and they work. Anti-SLAPP protections should also be expanded so that a person’s freedom to criticize a politician does not turn on something as arbitrary as where they live or where they were sued.”