Vancouver County. Sean Orr verklagt Bürgermeister Ken Sim wegen Verleumdung | Orr verklagt Sim wegen angeblich verleumderischer Äußerungen über die Verteilung von Drogen

Some issues of note:

>The COPE city councillor said in the claim that Sim made the statements in English, which were then translated by the mayor’s ABC party-mate Coun. Lenny Zhou.
>
>The alleged defamatory statement, according to the claim, was: „We have a councillor — Sean Orr — just this Christmas — who was handing out illegal drugs on Christmas Day, to people on the streets. So if you like getting free illegal drugs, you probably don’t like me or ABC.“
>
>Orr has repeatedly denied Sim’s claim since his comments came out in February.
>
>In his civil claim, Orr said Sim „acted deliberately, maliciously and in bad faith“ in making the statement and damaging Orr’s reputation. He alleged that Sim made the statement „for the dominant purpose of injuring or delegitimizing Orr, out of spite or animosity.“
>
>Orr is claiming punitive and aggravated damages and a permanent injunction prohibiting Sim from making similar statements like the one from February.
>
>“Sim used his platform and position as mayor of the City of Vancouver to baselessly attack Orr’s integrity as a public official for his own perceived political benefit,“ said the claim.
>
>“Sim’s conduct in that regard was malicious, highhanded, and callous, and has caused significant distress and harm to the plaintiff.“

Such an unfortunate situation that is distracting everyone from the work they need to be doing for those who live and work in the city. That being said, this is not an unforeseen outcome of having a mayor who appears to be more interested in making bombastic pronouncements than with governance and policy.