Victorian Liberal leader John Pesutto defamed former party member Moira Deeming in a series of media appearances following her involvement with a controversial rally, a court has ruled.
Ms Deeming, a sitting MP, was found to have suffered $300,000 in damages to her reputation in five publications.
“I have also found Ms Deeming has established the publications had caused, or is likely to have caused, serious damage to her reputation,” Justice David O’Callaghan found.
Victorian Opposition leader John Pesutto. Picture: NewsWire / Diego Fedele
MP Moira Deeming sued Mr Pesutto for defamation. Picture: David Geraghty / NewsWire
Among the imputations conveyed, Justice O’Callaghan found Mr Pesutto has painted Ms Deemings as someone who knowingly associates or sympathises with neo-Nazis or white supremacists and was therefore unfit to be part of the Liberal Party.
The former Liberal Party members was expelled after promoting and speaking at a rally in March last year.
The rally was gatecrashed by neo-Nazis including Thomas Sewell. Picture: NewsWire / David Crosling
Organised by British activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, also known as Posie Parker, the ‘Let Women Speak’ rally was gatecrashed by white supremacist groups who performed a Nazi salute outside Parliament House.
More to come.