Michael Patrick Leahy is Not a Member of Some Alien Race of Lizard People

Our guest columnist is the Citizen Media Law Project, writing on Gadsden Light Bulb entrepreneur and Twitter fetishist Michael Patrick Leahy.

Michael Patrick Leahy, author and founder of “Top Conservatives On Twitter,” filed a lawsuit against blogger Stephanie Grasmick, Twitter user “Duke St. Journal,” and 25 anonymous Twitter users for libel, false light invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and tortious interference with contract.

Leahy, who appears to be handling the case himself, asserts that Grasmick posts on Twitter under the name StephanieInCA and is the operator of Teablogging, a site created “to chronicle the lead-up to the April 15 conservative hysteria Tax Day Tea Parties and to serve as a central repository for low-brow teabag-related sex jokes.” His four-count complaint alleges, among other things, that Grasmick libeled him in a blog post on May 13, 2009, in which she falsely stated that he is:

• a “major tax fraud”;
• a “delusional profiteering creep”;
• an “insane clown”; and
• a “member of some alien race of Lizard People.”

Compl. (First Cause of Action) ¶¶ 1-5. Leahy also claims that Grasmick and Duke St. Journal repeated these false statements on Twitter.

Leahy also asserts a claim for false light invasion of privacy, although the conduct he complains about is more properly characterized as a claim for publication of private facts: the disclosure of his “residence in Williamson County, Tennessee.” Compl. (Second Cause of Action) ¶ 1.

In addition to monetary damages, Leahy claims he is “entitled to see the complete records of all Facebook communications and telephonic commuications between Grasmick and her 283 Facebook friends, as well as public and private messages sent by Grasmick to those 469 persons she follows on Twitter, in order to determine the identity, if there is such, of any additional defendants who should be named in this complaint.” Compl. ¶ 18.

Update:

May 22, 2009: Dispute resolved by mutual accord. Leahy reported on his blog that “Grasmick has agreed to remove the false and misleading word from the headline of her May 13, 2009 blogpost which caused me to file a libel suit against her on May 18, 2009. I, in response, have withdrawn my complaint against her.” Grasmick confirmed the agreement and removed the word “fraud” from her previous blog post.

Leahy v. Grasmick [Citizen Media Law Project, May 2009]

Conservative Twitter Guy is Teased, Brings Lawsuit [Village Voice, May 2009]