Why isn’t the media coming to the defense of Michael Sandoval?
A Lafayette man who wrote that letter to the Boulder Daily Camera expressing his thoughts on fracking and violence against energy workers is now on a lawsuit frenzy in another incident, claiming of all things, invasion of privacy, defamation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Andrew O’Connor claims his privacy was invaded because he made public comments at a June 13 Broomfield City Council meeting and it was reported by Western Wire.
It’s a bizarre set of claims that defies reasoning.
O’Connor’s targets are Western Wire editor Michael Sandoval, who did his job and reported the incident, and Broomfield resident Camille Cave, who spoke out against O’Connor during the public comment period.
Cave said O’Connor was a “fringe environmentalist” who wanted o
il and gas development eliminated. O’Connor calls this slander and defamation.
We remind PeakNation of Exhibit A, O’Connor’s letter that set things into motion.
In this lawsuit, O’Connor claims Western Wire “violated (his) privacy” and “illegally obtained” his emails through the Colorado Open Records Act and published several articles based on his communication with Broomfield and Boulder city council members.
We don’t know whether to laugh or cry. The emails were not illegally obtained, if legally obtained through a state open records law.
O’Connor is asking for financial damages for the defamation and emotional distress.
It’s too soon to tell if a court will take this lawsuit seriously, but in the meantime, the media should be taking a strong interest in this case. It could lead to a very chilling effect on all media and their ability to cover public meetings, and use the open record law to hold public and private folks accountable.