A federal jury has ordered a Democrat-aligned super PAC to pay Republican Roy Moore $8.2 million in damages.
On Friday, the court ruled that Senate Majority PAC defamed Moore in a TV ad when he was running for Senate in Alabama in 2017.
Moore lost the race amid accusations of sexual misconduct.
Jurors found the Senate Majority PAC made false and defamatory statements against Moore in one television ad.
“We’re very thankful to God for an opportunity to help restore my reputation which was severely damaged by the 2017 election,” Moore said.
“In their ad, they strung quotes together to make a single statement,” Jeffrey Scott Wittenbrink Moore’s lawyer said.
“That’s what the jury found offensive.
“They got up and lied and said they didn’t intend that.”
The advertisement said:
“What do people who know Roy Moore say?…
“Moore was actually banned from the Gadsden mall for soliciting sex from young girls.
“One he approached was 14 and working as Santa’s helper.”
Ben Stafford, an attorney representing Senate Majority PAC, said he will appeal the verdict.
Stafford said:
“No amount of deflection or distraction from Roy Moore will change the fact that multiple individuals testified under oath to corroborate credible accusations against him.
“Many others have come forward to make their allegations public, at serious personal cost.
“We do not think this verdict is the right decision, but we believe the facts are clear and this ruling will be overturned on appeal,” Stafford said.
Moore said on Twitter:
“This is a huge blow to major super PAC out of WaDC that interfered in a senate election in the state of Al.
“The people of this state are tired of dirty politics and attempts by the establishment in Wa DC to control who the people of this state elect to the United States Senate.”
This is a huge blow to major super PAC out of WaDC. that interfered in a senate election in the state of Al. The people of this state are tired of dirty politics and attempts by the establishment in Wa DC to control who the people of this state elect to the United States Senate. pic.twitter.com/pa1qlTACQS
— Judge Roy Moore (@RealJudgeMoore) August 12, 2022
From Newsmax:
Leigh Corfman told The Washington Post and said Moore sexually touched her in 1979 when she was 14 and he was a 32-year-old assistant district attorney.
Moore denied the accusation.
Other women said Moore dated them, or asked them out on dates, when they were older teens.
The accusations against Moore contributed to his loss to Democrat Doug Jones, the first Democrat to represent Alabama in the Senate in a quarter-century.
The seat returned to Republican control with the 2020 election of Tommy Tuberville, a former college football coach.
Senate Majority PAC funded a group called Highway 31 that ran a $4 million advertising blitz against Moore.
