LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – Former Republican state Senate candidate Bowen Kou has been held in contempt of courtroom for failing to deposit practically $167,000 into the courtroom registry, a Lake County choose dominated Wednesday.
The Fifth Judicial Circuit Courtroom discovered that Kou violated a Sept. 9 order requiring the fee by Sept. 23. Decide D.R. Mosley stated Kou may face 30 days within the Lake County Jail if he doesn’t comply inside 10 days. Cost of the required quantity would purge the contempt.
The courtroom famous that Kou had the flexibility to pay, citing his web price of $16.1 million and marketing campaign distributions of greater than $1 million to himself. Kou had beforehand filed motions to remain and rethink the order, all of which had been denied, and he didn’t search a keep from an appellate courtroom or submit a bond.
Kou’s contempt stems from a defamation lawsuit he filed in opposition to the Florida Republican Senatorial Marketing campaign Committee, or FRSCC, led by Senate President Ben Albritton. Kou had alleged the committee defamed him in a marketing campaign mailer claiming his Senate marketing campaign obtained donations linked to China.
The Circuit Courtroom of Fifth Judicial Circuit granted FRSCC’s movement for abstract judgement earlier, discovering Kou violated Florida’s anti-SLAPP legislation, which protects the precise to talk freely on public points.
The courtroom stated Kou failed to offer proof of precise malice and submitted declarations “containing inadmissible rumour, conclusory statements, and statements made with out private information.”
Kou, represented by former state consultant and Lake County Commissioner Anthony Sabatini, was defeated within the Republican main by now-Sen. Keith Truenow.
FRSCC spokesperson Erin Issac praised the ruling on the time, saying the committee “won’t be silenced by lawfare techniques deployed by shedding candidates” and that voters deserve correct details about candidates.
