A state judge in North Texas has dismissed most of the claims filed against a co-defendant of Stormy Daniels in a defamation lawsuit that alleges both of them participated in a smear campaign that hurt a Texas horse trainer’s reputation and business.
In a one-page order issued Friday, Kaufman County’s 422ndDistrict Judge B. Michael Chitty delivered a mixed ruling for equestrian Erin Walker, who was sued by Rockwall horse trainer Erin Doughty-Hume after Walker participated in an investigation that led to the revocation of Doughty-Hume’s instructor certification.
Walker is off the hook for tortious interference with an existing contract, tortious interference with prospective business relations, intentional infliction of emotional distress and civil conspiracy. But Judge Chitty declined to dismiss Doughty-Hume’s claim that Walker disparaged with her business, so Walker’s liability on that issue is still up in the air.
Though Daniels (legally named Stephanie Clifford) submitted a general denial after the lawsuit was filed last year, she never submitted her own motion to dismiss.
Doughty-Hume also added a defamation claim against Walker a week before the Jan. 11 hearing on Walker’s motion to dismiss, and while Walker’s lawyers provided legal arguments against the defamation claim in their motion to dismiss filing, Judge Chitty has not ruled yet on that element.
“The court’s ruling is a big win for Ms. Walker’s rights of freedom of speech and association,” said Alan Dabdoub, Walker’s lead attorney. “Ms. Walker spoke out for the safety of horses and riders. Without the cooperation of courageous citizens like Ms. Walker, the United States Eventing Association’s complaints resolution procedure would be hamstrung. The TCPA was designed to protect citizens like Ms. Walker from frivolous lawsuits filed in response to her speaking up to protect other students from what she said she had experienced. We look forward to getting the remaining claim dismissed.”
Christine Renne, who represents Doughty-Hume and her business, Pegasus Eventing, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Doughty-Hume and her husband, Alastair Hume, filed the lawsuit last July against Walker, Daniels/Clifford, Daniels’ ex-husband and others. The dispute began when Daniels and her ex, Glendon Crain, had a falling out with Doughty-Hume after two of their horses died while in Pegasus Eventing’s care. Daniels wrote about the incident on a popular equine website, The Chronicle of the Horse and later, along with others, filed a formal complaint against Doughty-Hume with the United States Eventing Association.
Doughty-Hume claims the statements Daniels and Walker made online and to the USEA were false and that they disparaged her business. Walker, who trained at Pegasus Eventing from April 2016 to August 2017, agreed to participate in the investigation after she witnessed some of Doughty-Hume’s practices for herself, which she described in an affidavit as “dangerous instruction” and “inhumane treatment” of the horses.
In addition to Dabdoub, Walker is represented by Christian Orozco. Both practice at Lynn Pinker Cox & Hurst in Dallas. An attorney has not made a formal appearance on behalf of Daniels in the litigation.
For more details on the lawsuit, find an earlier report here.