Court Dismisses Defamation Lawsuit Against WinSenate PAC
In a decision filed today, a Brown County Circuit Court Judge dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by former Republican U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde against WinSenate PAC and several television stations over a campaign advertisement that aired during the 2024 election cycle. Elias Law Group attorneys successfully defended WinSenate PAC in this case, securing a full dismissal of Hovde’s lawsuit with prejudice.
The lawsuit, filed in August 2024 during Hovde's unsuccessful bid for U.S. Senate in Wisconsin, claimed that the advertisement contained false and defamatory statements regarding his business dealings. The advertisement characterized Hovde as having “rigged the system to rake in thirty million in government subsidies and loans” and stated that he “shelter[ed] his wealth in shady tax havens around the world.”
In his 8-page decision, Judge Donald R. Zuidmulder rejected Hovde’s claims and determined that the statements at issue represented "mere expressions of opinion which do not implicate any defamatory facts.” The Court also found that the statement, “Hovde shelters his wealth in shady tax havens” was “substantially true” and wrote that “it is undisputed that Hovde received $30 million in government subsidies and loans.”
"This ruling confirms what we have known all along," said Elias Law Group partner Uzoma Nkwonta. "Despite Eric Hovde’s desperate allegations amid his losing campaign, WinSenate PAC did not make any defamatory statements about him. We are pleased that the court correctly recognized that political speech deserves high levels of protection. This decision underscores the importance of public debate concerning candidates for public office.”
Click HERE to read the full opinion.
Elias Law Group attorneys Uzoma Nkwonta, Richard Medina, and Omeed Alerasool represented WinSenate PAC in this matter.
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