Two Republican Lawmakers Face Slander Lawsuit in South Carolina
In a noteworthy development, two Republican lawmakers in South Carolina, Representatives Lee Hewitt of Murrells Inlet and Chris Murphy of North Charleston, are currently facing a slander lawsuit. They are accused of defamation by former State Senate candidate John Gallman, who claims that they falsely labeled him as a “domestic abuser”.
Details of the Allegations
Gallman’s slander suit alleges that the two lawmakers, Hewitt and Murphy, circulated false allegations about him, stating that he was a domestic abuser. Reportedly, this happened between April 16 and April 29. Interestingly, on April 16, the House adopted a resolution HR 5396 in his honor. Gallman’s contribution has been significant in the development of legislation that allows children equal access to both parents post separation and divorce.
Roughly 60 House legislators, including Hewitt and Murphy, removed their names as sponsors from the resolution on April 17, state records reveal.
In response to the allegations, Hewitt and Murphy’s attorneys stated, “Representatives Murphy and Hewitt look forward to their day in court and have faith that the legal process will fully vindicate them and demonstrate that this litigious plaintiff’s claims are completely meritless”.
History of Lawsuits
In 2020, Gallman sued multiple individuals and groups, including Senator Luke Rankin and local newspaper company Waccamaw Publishers, for defamation and civil conspiracy in connection to his unsuccessful Senate run. The lawsuit claimed the defendants ruined his reputation and caused him to lose business by alleging he was mentally unstable and that he was physically abusive toward his ex-wife.
Prior to this, in 2018, he filed a lawsuit against Jenna and Brian Cunningham. He accused them of spreading rumors of abuse, damaging his reputation which resulted in contract cancellations by some of his clients.
Current Lawsuit against Republican Lawmakers
The complaint in the lawsuit currently underway states that the allegations against Gallman by Hewitt and Murphy were published with “actual malice” and led to harm and damages. This included damage to Gallman’s reputation. He is seeking a jury trial for the same.
The document also claims that both lawmakers continued to spread the allegations even after being informed by a fellow legislator that they were not true. The complaint goes on to allege that Murphy stated he was instructed to spread the information that Gallman was a domestic abuser by “House Leadership”.
The case is developing, and it is expected to draw significant attention in the coming days as it plays out.