Dede Biles
Aiken Standard, S.C.
(MCT)
Jul. 21—A former chief of the Wagener Fire Department has sued the current mayor of Wagener for defamation, claiming the elected official made false oral and written statements about him.
罗伯特·塔斯（Robert Thuss）律师代表原告马克·雷德（Mark Redd）在本月初在南卡罗来纳州第二司法巡回法院的普通诉讼法院提起诉讼。
The defendant is Mike Miller.
根据诉讼，米勒的据称虚假陈述“弹imped弹命名，毫无疑问”雷德的诚实，正直和声誉”，“暴露于公众的蔑视，嘲笑和耻辱或使他被避开。”
Those statements also “injured” Redd’s “reputation in the community” and “discredit his years of service as a volunteer firefighter.”
In addition, according to the legal action, Miller “insinuated” that Redd “stole, misappropriated funds and committed crimes.” That caused “embarrassment, humiliation (and) mental anguish as a result of the injury to his (Redd’s) reputation.”
该诉讼指出，米勒的评论被包括在报纸的故事和电视报告中。
2020年末，雷德（Redd）和助理消防局长乔治·戴（George Day）被停职，后来被解雇。
Redd’s lawsuit criticizes how Miller and the other members of the Wagener Town Council went about relieving them of their duties.
It accuses them of violating the Freedom of Information Act during a special meeting.
The legal action also claims that a story about the suspensions, which was posted on the Town of Wagener’s website, contained false information.
There also was a post about the suspensions on the Town of Wagener’s Facebook page, according to the lawsuit.
The legal action asks the court to award Redd “general damages, special damages, punitive damages, attorney fees, costs of the action, injunctive relief” and any “further relief that the court deems just and proper.”
When asked by the Aiken Standard about the suit, Thuss declined to comment.
Miller also declined to comment, saying July 20 that he had received legal advice not to say anything until he had been served (received a copy of the lawsuit by legal delivery).
Redd and Day are the plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed against the Town of Wagener last year.
The legal action claims the town violated the Freedom of Information Act in multiple ways during a process that led to their suspension and subsequent termination.
Also in 2021, Day sued the Town of Wagener and Miller in his official role as mayor and “individually.”
根据这一诉讼，米勒和瓦格纳镇议会说：“米勒和通过米勒多次做出了虚假的口头和书面陈述，这些陈述弹aight了诚实，正直和声誉。”
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