Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria faced a prolonged smear campaign from the Everett Leader Herald, a local weekly, which published numerous false allegations against him over the years. Despite the damage to his reputation, he won a $1.1 million settlement against the paper for defamation, which acknowledged the fabrications in court. Yet, he now faces new accusations regarding his salary this time from the state of Massachusetts, as he prepares for another mayoral campaign. DeMaria's case underscores challenges public figures face in seeking justice against media misconduct while highlighting the complexities of truth in journalism.
They labeled me as a 'Kickback Carlo.' Accusations that I was settling all kinds of sexual harassment lawsuits, that I put a knife to a girl's throat and asked for sexual favors. It was awful. It was disgusting.
The defamation victories are exceedingly rare under the Supreme Court's 'actual malice' standard for public figures. That willing disregard for the truth became abundantly evident when the paper's editor swore in court to tell the truth.
Collection
[
|
...
]