newsobserver.com projects - Pope drops defamation suit - Comments

Re: Pope drops defamation suit

claudiasrodgers — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 12:33:45 -0400

Steven LaRoque also owes an apology to former Representative Russell Capps for falsely accusing him of illegal and unethical actions. During televised interviews on News 14 and WRAL and in emails to myself and Mrs. Judy Keener, Mr. LaRoque accused Capps of "having sold his soul and his vote to Art Pope for 30 pieces of silver."

Also in those emails, LaRoque attempted to disparaged those of us who had written to him urging an apology be offered to Rep. Capps and calling us kool-aid drinking "Pope Puppets."

LaRoque may have reconciled with Art Pope, but he should also publicaly announce his regret for having "misspoke" when he slandered and smeared Capps.

Re: Pope drops defamation suit

claudiasrodgers — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 12:26:25 -0400

Steven LaRoque also owes an apology to former Representative Russell Capps for falsely accusing him of illegal and unethical actions. During televised interviews on News 14 and WRAL, and in emails to myself and Mrs. Judy Keener of Mr. LaRoque accused Capps of "having sold his soul and his vote to Art Pope for 30 pieces of silver."

Also in those emails, LaRoque attempted to disparaged those of us who had written to him urging an apology be offered to Rep. Capps and calling us kool-aid drinking "Pope Puppets."

LaRoque may have reconciled with Art Pope, but he should also publically announce his regret for having "misspoke" when he slandered and smeared Capps.

Re: Pope drops defamation suit

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 22:28:47 -0400

For now, nothing in our rules say that commenters have to identify themselves.

Anyway, it's not that hard to figure out.

-- RTB

Re: Pope drops defamation suit

hypocrisy — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 22:01:27 -0400

Shouldn't Jerimee mention that he is a paid employee of the Democratic Party when he is spreading his rhetoric?

Re: Pope drops defamation suit

jerimee — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 18:30:56 -0400

No irony in that Pope paid a City Councilman to sue LaRoque for complaining about Pope buying politicians?

Also, shouldn't you mention that the NCGOP headquarters bears the Pope name, and that the John Locke Foundation, Civitas, and several other Republican organizations are funded by Pope?

Pope drops defamation suit

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 17:40:39 -0400

Two former Republicans lawmakers have settled a dispute left over from the GOP primary wars last year.

Former Rep. Stephen LaRoque of Kinston has apologized to former state Rep. Art Pope of Raleigh, who he had accused of buying legislators by pouring money into contested Republican primaries, Rob Christensen reports.

"In the heat of a hard fought campaign and contested election outcome, I misspoke," LaRoque said in a letter. "Art Pope has not been engaged in buying legislators or their votes. I did not mean to imply that Art Pope had done anything wrong."

After LaRoque issued the apology, Pope said he had instructed his attorney, Raleigh City Councilman Phillip Isley to drop a defamation suit.

Pope, a wealthy businessman, helped finance a direct mail campaign, that was critical of LaRoque and several other lawmakers who were tied to former House Speaker Richard Morgan.

The mailing were done by the Republican Legislative Majority of North Carolina, an advocacy group funded by Pope-led companies.