One of the candidates in a local legislative primary is suing his opponent, alleging libel and defamation.
The complaint was filed Tuesday in Sangamon County Circuit Court by Kent Gray, who is running against incumbent state Representative Tim Butler in the 95th House District Republican primary. Gray says local GOP voters were sent anonymous text messages over the weekend detailing some of Gray’s professional and personal problems, including a one-year suspension of his law license. The text also claimed that Gray was behind in child support payments by $30,000… which Gray says is defamatory, because he actually owes only about one-third of that amount.
Although the texts were sent anonymously, Gray says they originated from the same service that has provided text messages for Butler’s campaign. Butler says his campaign had nothing to do with the texts, but otherwise declines to comment on the lawsuit.
