KCRCC files defamation lawsuit against Gookin

COEUR d’ALENE - Coeur d'Alene City Councilman Dan Gookin was served with a lawsuit from the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee shortly before the City Council meeting Tuesday evening.

The KCRCC is suing Gookin for defamation, according to a press release.

“The KCRCC appreciates that Gookin is entitled to engage in speech that is protected by the First Amendment,” the release said. “However, his recent statements have crossed the line from protected speech into unprotected defamation because they accuse KCRCC of rigging its 2023 candidate ‘rating and vetting’ process, perpetrating a fraud on its members, and violating campaign finance laws – things which simply have not happened.”

Following the council meeting, Gookin, who is a KCRCC precinct committeeman, said people have free speech in the United States and have a right to criticize.

“It’s not defamatory, it’s not malicious. It is legitimate criticism,” he said.

The lawsuit filed in District Court of the First Judicial District was signed by attorney Bryan Smith of Smith, Driscoll and Associates.

The lawsuit says as a “proximate result of Gookin’s Defamatory Posts, KCRCC has incurred general damages for harm to its reputation and goodwill, in an amount to be proven at trial. KCRCC also incurred special damages in the amount of $1,879.00 for printing expenses in connection with a letter that was necessary to dispel the false information Gookin published.”

Gookin said he would be consulting with an attorney, but he considered the lawsuit “obviously an election stunt.”

“They delivered it three weeks before Election Day. I have to respond by Election Day. They’re going to make it an issue,” he said.

Gookin said the KCRCC doesn't want to see him reelected and is backing a weak candidate for this seat.

“So they’re going to throw this at me and try to make me look bad,” he said.

According to the press release, “Gookin has a long history of being critical of the KCRCC, which is his First Amendment right, but when he makes claims that the KCRCC committed criminal acts he crosses the line into defamation. The KCRCC has every right to defend itself against these false accusations.”