Latest news with #smearCampaign
Telegraph
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Scottish Tory quits in protest over ‘appalling' treatment of MSP
'A complaint was made in good faith. Instead of handling it with the discretion and seriousness it deserved, senior figures have weaponised the findings by leaking them to the Daily Mail to launch another cowardly smear campaign against Meghan. That's not just a failure of process, it's a failure of character. 'For me, this is the final straw in a long and growing list. This is a party that has lost its way, its moral authority, and its integrity. It no longer upholds conservative values, it twists them, abandons them, and then talks of 'common sense' as if that excuses the rot at its core.' Ms Gallacher had accused John Lamont, who was shadow Scottish Secretary at the time, of threatening her political career during a phone call amid a bitter row during last year's contest. The MSP for Central Scotland lodged a complaint amid claims Mr Lamont had told members she was dropping out of the race and would endorse another candidate, Murdo Fraser. Gallacher reportedly said during a subsequent phone call to discuss the matter, she felt Lamont threatened her future political career. Mr Lamont, who supported Russell Findlay's successful leadership campaign, said at the time that he was considering legal action following the 'defamatory and false' allegations. Following the ruling by Tory headquarters, he expressed disappointment that the 'entirely avoidable episode' had happened in the first place but vowed to move on and work with Ms Gallacher in the future. Mr Ferguson said his decision to resign from the Tory Party was not a reflection of his local group and that he will continue to represent North Ayrshire as an independent. He added: 'I will not be complicit in propping up a party that now punishes integrity and protects arrogance. 'I will serve the remainder of my council term as an independent. And I'll be watching carefully, as many are, to see what new political movement may rise to give voice to the decent, forgotten working class majority in Britain.' A Scottish Tory spokesman said the party 'does not discuss internal matters', adding: 'We wish councillor Ferguson well.'
Daily Mail
24-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Company CEO was left living in fear after boyfriend's ex-wife mounted 'homewrecker, fraudster and slut' Facebook smear campaign
A company CEO was left living in fear of her boyfriend's ex-wife after she mounted a horrirific smear campaign against her, calling her a 'homewrecker', a 'fraudster' and a 'slut'. Stephanie Hughes, 39, was bombarded with hateful messages by bitter Christina Corish after she started a relationship with Corish's ex-husband Richard. Although she had split up from her 42-year-old spouse three years earlier, she contacted Miss Hughes's friends through social media in a fit of spite, telling them: 'She is sleeping with my husband'. During her 18 month campaign, the 37-year-old mother of two also contacted other mothers at the school which the victim's children attend, accusing her of having an 'affair' and branding her a 'home wrecking whore with saggy bits.' Mother-of-four Miss Hughes of Cheshire, who runs a travel agency and a competitions company, initially ignored the personal slurs but reported her to police after she left a malicious review on her Facebook business page on Valentine's Day, falsely calling her a 'conwoman'. In a personal statement, Miss Hughes said: 'This has been one of the most terrifying and damaging experiences, and it has seeped into every part of my life. 'I felt exposed, scared and broken. She did not just target me. She contacted clients and colleagues and tried to ruin my reputation and humiliate me.' 'I was so embarrassed and ashamed I stopped posting online. I built my travel business on social media but I could not log on as the fear and shame were overwhelming. Although she had split up from her 42-year-old spouse three years earlier, she contacted Miss Hughes's friends through social media in a fit of spite, telling them: 'She is sleeping with my husband'. 'She even sent messages to mothers at the school calling me a whore, accusing me of having an affair. I felt sick.' At Sefton Magistrate's Court, Corish, of Waterloo, Liverpool, pleaded guilty to harassing Miss Hughes between August 2023 and February 2025. She was sentenced to a 12 month community order with a requirement that she completes 15 days of rehabilitation activity and was banned from contacting Miss Hughes for five years under the terms of a restraining order. The Corishes had married in 2015 and had two children together but split up in 2020 for undisclosed reasons. The court heard the hate campaign began in August 2023 after engineer Mr Corish began a relationship with Miss Hughes whilst they were joint directors at her company Celestial Prizes. In a detailed statement, Miss Hughes explained how the ordeal began with a series of cryptic messages from a woman demanding to know if she knew a man named Richard. After ignoring repeated attempts to contact her, including a missed call on Facebook Messenger, she finally responded, only to be met with a barrage of abuse. Coris said Richard was her husband and called Miss Hughes a 'slut' and a 'white whore', accusing her of sleeping with a married man and destroying a family. According to Miss Hughes, Richard had told her he had been separated for three years The situation escalated further on New Year's Day 2024, when friends began receiving unsolicited messages from the ex-wife alleging an affair. The harassment soon turned more personal and invasive with Miss Hughes received vile emails, calling her a 'home wrecking whore with saggy bits', and even Richard himself was targeted with similar messages. Coris threatened to tell Miss Hughes' colleagues about the alleged affair, leaving her gripped with anxiety. The most alarming incident came on Valentine's Day when she publicly attacked Miss Hughes' business on Facebook, posting a comment on her company's profile, accusing her of being a fraudster and conning customers before also finding Miss Hughes' home address via Companies House which she said: 'Really increased my anxiety'. The mother added: 'I'm still trying to pick up the pieces now and I still feel I am waiting for the next thing. My confidence is completely gone. 'I lost money because I could not work but worse than that I lost part of myself. 'My children were affected too. They saw me struggling with anxiety, constantly in hospital and afraid. 'No child should have to witness their mum going through something like that. I am still trying to rebuild my life. I just want to feel myself again and protect my children. 'They have to see that actions have consequences. I want to show my children you should stand up to bullies even though you are afraid.' Angela Conlan, prosecuting, said: 'When she initially responded to the defendant she did answer quite reasonably to get information and got abuse back. 'Having heard the victim statement and the impact, the harm is quite serious in this one.' Corish had a previous conviction for criminal damage from last year after smashing windows at the home of her ex-husband's mother. He resigned as director of Celestial Prizes last January. In mitigation, defence lawyer Peter Green, said: 'The defendant feels that her ex-husband has abandoned her and started a new relationship whilst she has been left bringing up two children more or less on her own. 'He pays £7 a week for the children which is a very nominal amount in this day and age and she let her frustration get the better of her. She behaved, she concedes, totally inappropriately.' Corish who wept in the dock told the hearing: 'I am not going to contact her. I have no interest in making any contact anymore. That was the last time..' Sentencing her, District Judge Paul Healey said: 'You embarked upon a course of harassment against Stephanie Hughes when she was totally blameless. 'She had nothing to do with you but she was worried about who you were, why you were contacting her, the abuse, the threats to her. 'You caused real issues for her business and family. This has got to stop now.'
Wall Street Journal
09-06-2025
- Wall Street Journal
Alexander Brothers File $500 Million Defamation Suit Against The Real Deal
The Alexander brothers have filed a defamation lawsuit against the publisher of The Real Deal, seeking $500 million in damages for what they claim is a 'smear campaign' by the real-estate trade magazine. Alon, Oren and Tal Alexander were arrested last year and face federal sex-trafficking charges. All three have pleaded not guilty.
Telegraph
20-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Gary Neville unexpectedly cited in £2m Evangelos Marinakis lawsuit
Gary Neville became 'hostile' towards Evangelos Marinakis after a 'smear campaign' against the Nottingham Forest owner had attempted to 'influence' the Sky Sports pundit, according to documents lodged with the High Court. Neville's 'hostile and ill-founded' criticism of Marinakis for walking onto the pitch after Forest's recent 2-2 draw with Leicester City was cited in a witness statement lodged as part of a £2.1 million libel action by the billionaire shipping magnate. Marinakis, who also owns Greek Super League side Olympiacos, is suing Irini Karipidis, the owner of league rivals Aris, as well as Ari Harow, a former chief of staff to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The lawsuit was launched last year after accusations were made against Marinakis saying he was the 'leader of a criminal organisation, guilty of match-fixing practices including extortion, fraud and arson, as well as there being strong grounds to suspect him of deep and active involvement in international heroin trafficking'. The Marinakis camp have called the allegations false and highly defamatory. Karipidis and Harow are alleged to have orchestrated claims that appeared in three articles published on a website, ' in November 2023 and that were repeated on an X account and in six YouTube videos. They were also displayed on mobile billboards driven around Forest's City Ground on two match days. The latest documents emerged during a hearing on Wednesday and follow what David Sherborne, Marinakis's barrister, described as a 'settlement' between his client and US PR firm Harris Media LLC, 'which he said was instructed by the defendants to carry out this campaign on their behalf'. That settlement was said to have included the disclosure of 'new material', details of which were included in a witness statement submitted by Christopher Scott, Marinakis's solicitor. Scott wrote: 'There has been significant document production which include over 500 documents that were provided shortly before this hearing on 20 May. The documents produced include WhatsApp chats, project plans, commentary and internal communications at Harris Media LLC, including congratulating each other on the impact of the campaign in Nottingham including being of in excess of 1.5 million views on social media, through to listing journalists and pundits to target to seek to influence their views of the claimant, including the likes of the Sky Sports presenter Gary Neville. 'It is notable that since the smear campaign commenced the claimant has been greatly aggrieved by the apparent change to a hostile attitude towards him by many such pundits, including Mr Neville. Indeed, Nottingham Forest FC recently had cause to complain about hostile and ill-founded criticism from pundits, including Mr Neville, of the claimant's expression of concern for a seriously injured Nottingham Forest player.' Neville had been among those who criticised Marinakis for entering the pitch after Forest's game against Leicester and remonstrating with manager Nuno Espirito Santo. That incident came after forward Taiwo Awoniyi had been allowed to play on injured after colliding with a post. Awoniyi was later admitted to hospital and placed in an induced coma. The Nigeria international has been recovering after an operation on a ruptured intestine. Neville had branded Marinakis 'scandalous' and claimed Nuno should 'negotiate his exit tonight'. That prompted Marinakis to fire back in a remarkable statement, accusing the Sky Sports pundit of 'baseless and ill-informed outrage'. The incident was not the first time Forest had clashed with Neville. In July 2024, Sky Sports issued an apology 'for any offence caused' by Neville after he accused the club of acting like a 'mafia gang'. The broadcaster was hit with a legal letter from club lawyers after Neville had criticised a statement issued in response to Forest's 2-0 defeat by Everton in April 2024, in which they claimed they should have received three penalties and also highlighted VAR Stuart Attwell's support of Luton Town. The libel claim against Karipidis and Harow is proceeding after they failed to get the case thrown out. Matthew Hodson, for Karipidis, told a hearing in October that the social media campaign had 'limited publication', telling the court that it 'fared pathetically' and that there was no evidence of 'actual harm' to Marinakis's reputation. Ali Reza Sinai, for Harow, stated that while there was 'obviously bad blood' between Marinakis and Karipidis, the allegations had 'no real connection' with his client.
Telegraph
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
An alternative to rotten Reform is coming soon
Politics is a rough game – we all know that. Insults are thrown around, real friendships are uncommon, and proper loyalty is even rarer. I'm not naive, when I entered politics after a successful career in business I expected a hail of gunfire to come from opponents. I never expected it to arrive from my own party, my colleagues, my friends. How wrong I was. That's exactly what happened when I heard that the Reform Chairman, Zia Yusuf, had made a complaint to the police in March, about an event in December, almost immediately after I made reasonable concerns public about the direction of the party following months of pushing for real change behind the scenes – the timeline of the complaint tells its own story. This was not normal political infighting – this was a coordinated smear campaign to not only ruin my reputation, but ultimately to put me in prison. It is simply not the British way of doing things. Parties have disagreed for decades without resorting to cruel and vexatious police complaints to silence political opponents. Yet the Reform leadership felt it appropriate to deploy brutal lawfare in an attempt to crush one of their own, all because I dared to bruise Farage's ego. The Metropolitan Police confirmed that they are dropping their investigation into these allegations. A viperous misuse of police time, and a disgusting weaponisation of the justice system which the party supposedly stands against. I consider myself to be a robust individual, but it has been a challenging two months. When you are placed under police investigation, and publicly named, for such vexatious allegations it would take a toll on anyone. I have done my best, with my team's help, to continue serving the good people of Great Yarmouth. In fact, I was informed of the good news as I stepped foot on a boat to tour the beautiful Norfolk coast in order to deliver significant investment for the constituency. A rollercoaster week, to say the least. Farage has tried to distance himself from these complaints, unsuccessfully. The man is a coward and a viper. He cannot be trusted with the full apparatus of the British state at his fingertips. Such brutal and wicked weaponisation of the justice system is a tactic of the left that we should all stand against. To the millions of decent Reform supporters – you must do what you believe is right. I, personally, could not remain in an organisation led by such men. They do not deserve your support, your time, your energy, your money, or your vote. The evil which is always close to the organs of power has shown itself in spades. I instructed my solicitors Brett Wilson LLP to send letters of claim to Reform's leader and director Nigel Farage, Mr Anderson and Mr Yusuf asserting claims for defamation. Answers are due soon. They wanted to smear me. Ruin me. Silence me. All because I questioned Farage and took a firm line on deporting illegal migrants. I urge you to do what you think is right. When the time soon comes, we will work together to advance a political movement that is credible, professional, decent, democratic and honest.
