Augusta Georgia: Metro:Walker Jr. sues Burns for libel 11/01/02

Walker Jr. sues Burns for libel

Web posted Thursday, October 31, 2002 10:06 p.m. EST

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By Sylvia Cooper
Staff Writer

Charles Walker Jr. said statements made in Max Burns' campaign ads damaged his reputation. His wife, Wren, attended his news conference. STEPHEN MORTON/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Democrat 12th Congressional District candidate Charles Walker Jr. filed suit against his Republican foe Max Burns on Thursday, alleging Mr. Burns libeled and slandered him in his political ads.

Mr. Burns' spokesman called the lawsuit a "last-minute campaign strategy of desperation."

The suit filed in Richmond County Superior Court contends that Mr. Burns and the Burns campaign "maliciously and recklessly" published false statements in the media about Mr. Walker, damaging his personal and professional reputations.

The suit alleges:

Mr. Burns' radio ads falsely refer to an alleged state ethics commission investigation of Mr. Walker for violation of the Ethics and Government Act

The Burns camp published statements that Mr. Walker had been arrested for criminal conduct, specifically "premeditated shoplifting," without noting that the charges had been dismissed and that Mr. Walker had not been convicted

The Burns campaign falsely accused Mr. Walker of setting a $10-a-minute charge for collect calls from Georgia prison inmates to their families.

"Neither Burns nor the Burns campaign has retracted the false accusation that Walker established or set exorbitant rates for prisoner phone calls," the suit states.

The Burns camp quit airing the ads about the telephone charge after Mr. Walker threatened to sue but did not issue the retraction Mr. Walker demanded.

Mr. Walker is asking for a jury trial and actual and punitive damages.

He made a brief appearance at the news conference to read a prepared statement before leaving his spokesman to answer questions.

"Integrity is key, and the people have spoken," Mr. Walker concluded. "The race is won."

When Mr. Walker was asked why he could not answer his own questions, he said, "The Augusta Chronicle and Billy Morris have had something against the Walkers for a while."

His spokesman John Kirin-cich intervened, saying, "Politeness dictates you let the man get on his way. I know that's alien to you."

Mr. Burns' spokesman Chris Ingram also appeared at the municipal building to answer questions after Mr. Walker's news conference.

"We regret that Charles Walker Jr.'s last-minute campaign strategy is one of desperation and an attempt to confuse district voters," Mr. Ingram said. "We had hoped that the last days of this campaign would be about the issues. ...

"Unfortunately, the Walker campaign has chosen to distract the voters of the district by filing an allegedly baseless lawsuit."

COMING SUNDAY

Poll results on who is leading the 12th Congressional District race.

Reach Sylvia Cooper at (706) 823-3228 or sylviaco@augustachronicle.com.

--From the Friday, November 1, 2002 printed edition of the Augusta Chronicle