Archambault defamation complaint dismissed

SMITHFIELD – A lawsuit Sen. Stephen Archambault of Smithfield filed against two members of the Smithfield Republican Town Committee has been dismissed as a SLAPP suit, or a suit intended to silence or intimidate critics.

Archambault, pictured, filed a defamation suit in October 2016 against former Smithfield Republican Town Committee Chairman James Archer and Rhode Island Republican Committee Chairman Brandon Bell.

The senator claimed that the defendants “intentionally and with full knowledge of its falsity” published an advertisement in The Valley Breeze & Observer that cast him in a false light.

The ad ran in the heat of election season in a October 6, 2016 edition of the Observer and made the following statements:

“Your Democrat controlled Town Council under President Bernie Hawkins hired Archambault to prosecute Smithfield residents – and paid him approximately $140,000 to do it.”

The ad continues, “That includes participation in the prosecution of Hawkins’ own brother who walked away from a nasty domestic violence incident with barely a wrist slap.”

The complaint claims “all of the statements referred herein and published by the defendants were false and defamatory.”

Archer, in turn, claimed that Archambault was carrying out a SLAPP suit, a strategic lawsuit against public participation meant to censor and silence critics by burdening them with the cost of legal defense.

“It’s not that the ad damaged his reputation,” said Archer. “It’s that his actions damaged his reputation.”

Sen. Archambault declined to comment on what is still an open case.

On Feb. 23, the court held that Archer’s election advertisement was protected under the Anti-SLAPP statute and on May 22 the court granted his motion for summary judgment and directed the defense to submit an affidavit for fees and costs.

Archambault filed an objection to the $26,056 in fees requested by Archer, describing it as “completely unreasonable.”

The senator has also filed for an extension to respond to the defendant’s request and ordered the transcripts from the various hearing dates. The transcripts are not yet available.