Slander Suit against now-FORMER Florida State Senator Lauren Book allowed to continue

It is a lot harder for the Books to get rid of a slander suit when her opponent has standing in the comunity. 

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/judge-rules-in-dr-barbara-shariefs-favor-to-proceed-to-trial-with-her-claim-that-senator-lauren-book-maliciously-slandered-her-with-statements-that-book-knew-were-false-302207271.html

JUDGE RULES IN DR. BARBARA SHARIEF'S FAVOR TO PROCEED TO TRIAL WITH HER CLAIM THAT SENATOR LAUREN BOOK MALICIOUSLY SLANDERED HER WITH STATEMENTS THAT BOOK KNEW WERE FALSE

News provided by Sharief For Florida 

Jul 26, 2024, 07:00 ET

DAVIE, Fla., July 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Former Broward County Mayor Dr. Barbara Sharief won another landmark victory and is one step closer to ultimate justice at trial for the alleged slander that she received by Lauren Book and her campaign. The Court ruled last night that Dr. Sharief had presented sufficient evidence to proceed to trial where she will be seeking over one million dollars in damages against Book and her campaign team for making false and untrue accusations that Sharief committed Medicaid fraud, among other falsehoods.

Judge Shari Africk Olefson stated as follows:

"That sufficient unrebutted evidence is reflected in the record, including but not limited to for a reasonable jury or trier of fact to conclude that Defendant (LAUREN BOOK) made and published to third parties, false information which was intended to harm Plaintiff in the context of an election campaign, and did harm Plaintiff."

The Court once again rejected Senator Book's relentless efforts to have the defamation lawsuit thrown out of court. This latest ruling was after the Court reviewed the under-oath depositions of Book and her campaign manager. The case will now head to a jury.

Expressing her stance, Dr. Sharief emphasized, "I am extremely proud that I have stood up for myself and every person who cares about truth and honesty in public discourse. No citizen should be victimized by the type of lies and politics of personal destruction and bullying exhibited Lauren Book and her campaign when they disseminated knowingly false information that harmed my family and my reputation." 

Dr. Sharief's attorney Michael Pizzi said about the Judge's decision to move the case forward to trial. "We look forward to heading to trial and obtaining an ultimate victory in Court that will send a powerful message that the truth matters in politics and that hard-working self-made public servants like Dr. Barbara Sharief cannot be the subject of defamatory statements. "

Lauren Book sued for blatantly lying about political opponent

About fucking time! And Book should lose. And I'd be willing to testify against her since she lied about me multiple times. 

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/elections/fl-ne-sharief-lawsuit-book-20220729-3sly2zoqw5c2rf57lkvavifqxu-story.html

Barbara Sharief sues opponent Lauren Book, alleging political ads were defamatory

By Lisa J. Huriash

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Jul 29, 2022 at 5:07 pm

Former Broward County Commissioner Barbara Sharief is suing state senate challenger Lauren Book, accusing her of defamation and libel in a $1 million lawsuit filed Friday afternoon.

The lawsuit claims Book has “disseminated lies to people falsely suggesting that Dr. Barbara Sharief “defrauded Medicaid” and stole tax dollars in political ads on television and by mail.

The lawsuit reads, “Book knows full well that these statements are despicable lies. Dr. Barbara Sharief has never committed a crime in her life and neither she nor any company she has ever operated has ever been found to have stolen or misspent Medicaid or any other funds.”

Book is already a senator in District 32, which is changing because of redistricting. Named as defendants in the lawsuit are Book and Winning Florida, a political action committee.

Book’s spokeswoman, Claire VanSusteren, said in an email response that Book has not yet been served with the paperwork, but VanSusteren called it a “nonsense lawsuit.”

“If Sharief continues down this frivolous path, there is little doubt she will be met with a lawsuit herself for falsely attacking Lauren Book and her family in TV commercials and mailers with disgusting, distorted attacks on a foundation whose mission is to protect children from child abuse,” VanSusteren said. “Voters rejected Barbara Sharief last November and they will do so again — and no eleventh-hour frivolous lawsuit will change that trajectory.”

The State Agency for Health Care Administration said Sharief’s home health care company overbilled Medicaid for patient services by nearly $500,000 more than a decade ago, according to a news article from the South Florida Sun Sentinel published in 2013. At the time Sharief said she did not overbill Medicaid, but still opted to settle the matter.

“Our view is the allegations are false,” said her lawyer, Michael Pizzi, of the original claim by the state. “She has never been found to have done anything wrong.”

Former Broward County Commissioner Barbara Sharief is suing state senate challenger Lauren Book, accusing her of defamation and libel in a $1 million lawsuit filed Friday afternoon. (John McCall & Wilfredo Lee/South Florida Sun Sentinel & AP)

The lawsuit also alleges that Book has portrayed Sharief as an advocate for gun violence; one ad reading “Barbara Sharief’s Shameful Record on Guns & Public Safety” shows her holding an assault weapon. Her lawyer says the photo was taken at a gun-buyback program in Miramar, and the police she was standing next to were cropped out.

Pizzi called it “a smear campaign against someone who dedicated her life to public service and providing quality health care.”

The race is a contentious one for Broward’s new 35th Senate District, which is mostly south and west of Florida’s Turnpike.

Book is the daughter of Ron Book, one of the state’s most influential lobbyists. She has served in the Florida Senate since 2016, won a second term in 2018 and is eligible to serve a final two years in office before term limits kick in, preventing her from running again in 2024.

Sharief was elected to the Broward County Commission in 2012 and re-elected in 2014 in contested races.

In 2018, no opponent came forward and she won a third term without appearing on the ballot. She was elected to the Miramar City Commission in 2009.

Sharief is using the same attorney who is handling a comparable congressional lawsuit. In that case, Democratic U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick is suing Dale Holness for libel, accusing her Congressional opponent of damaging her reputation and “public image” that is “irreparable.” That lawsuit also seeks $1 million in damages.

Lisa J. Huriash can be reached at lhuriash@sunsentinel.com or 954-572-2008. Follow on Twitter @LisaHuriash

"I will chase you until I die, that I assure you," Ron Book threatens man over bird

We all know how Ron Book behaves when it comes to Registered Persons, but as noted by FAC, Ron Book is rather unhinged in dealing with other disputes. 

https://floridaactioncommittee.org/i-will-chase-you-till-i-die-that-i-assure-you/

“I will chase you till I die, that I assure you.” is the closing line of a letter from Lobbyist Ron Book to an individual in a complaint he filed against a pet shop that had allegedly misappropriated his parrot. Last week Book filed a small claims lawsuit against a pet shop owner who allegedly failed to return his bird, “Blue”. Apparently the bird died while he was at the shop.

Of course, whether the parrot was stolen, died or flew away, the loss of a pet is sad no matter how it happens and we can sympathize with that. The content of his letter, however, gives us some insight into the man’s venomous personality.

You can see the complain at:

https://floridaactioncommittee.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Book-v-Kalichman.pdf

I don't know about Mr. Kalichman but I have no problem giving Ron Book "the bird."

Ron Book sued over February 2019 DUI accident for $30,001

Case Detail - Public     

Deryk Luis Rivera Plaintiff
vs.
Ronald Lee Book Defendant
Broward County Case Number: CACE20005775
State Reporting Number: 062020CA005775AXXXCE
Court Type: Civil
Case Type: Auto Negligence
Incident Date: N/A
Filing Date: 04/01/2020
Court Location: Central Courthouse
Case Status: Pending
Magistrate Id / Name: N/A
Judge ID / Name: 12 Frink, Keathan B.

You can read the documents filed in this case by doing a case search at browardclerk.org

The case is in the early stages, and there has been noting posted as of yet that isn't already known based on the news reports about the DUI. No court dates on this civil suit have been scheduled at this time.

Ron Book's DUI criminal trial is currently scheduled for Tuesday, June 23, 2020 at 9:30am.

GEO Group, which gives money to Ron and Lauren Book, threatens to drag protesters to court

I've already established that Lauren Book doesn't care about children behind bars. Now it appears she cares just as little about children of immigrant families. Lauren Book continues to ramble on social media about her stupid vanity car tags and about Brock Turner, thousands of immigrants, including children, have been reporting sexual abuse in ICE detention centers run by GEO Group, one of the the Book Crime Family's biggest clients. 

I have yet to see Lauren the bimbo even acknowledge that GEO Group private prisons are grounds for rampant sexual abuse. 

In fact, I would not be surprised if the Book Crime Family suggested GEO Group sued their detractors, since the Books tried the same to one of those helping tun this blog. 

https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/geo-group-threatens-to-sue-dream-defenders-over-anti-private-prison-activism-10592772

ICE's Biggest Private-Prison Contractor Threatens to Sue Florida Civil-Rights Activists

JERRY IANNELLI, TIM ELFRINK | AUGUST 6, 2018 | 8:00AM

Boca Raton's GEO Group is Immigration and Customs Enforcement's single biggest contractor, with more than $400 million worth of deals to run private prisons, including the Broward Transitional Center, a site housing "low-priority" detainees. As the Trump administration has ripped families apart and jailed immigrants with no criminal records, GEO has come under heavy fire for making huge profits from those policies.

Now, GEO has a new strategy to combat that criticism: threatening to sue the civil-rights activists mounting the protests.

On Friday, GEO sent a cease-and-desist letter to Dream Defenders, a Florida group that has organized statewide protests against GEO and, in July, convinced the Florida Democratic Party to stop taking any donations from private-prison companies like GEO. In the letter, GEO claims that Dream Defenders are using "false information" to incite violence against GEO facilities.

"It is clear that Dream Defenders published knowingly false statements regarding GEO in an attempt to incite others to engage in potentially violent and harmful behavior directed at GEO facilities," reads the letter sent from Philadelphia-based attorney Carolyn P. Short of the Holland & Knight firm.

In a scathing response, the group hit back this morning with a point-by-point dissection of the supposedly "false" claims it had made against GEO Group and offering evidence that each criticism — including allegations that GEO is "caging children" and jailing poor black, Latino, and white people — is, in fact, accurate.

"You had the audacity to allege that the Dream Defenders, a group of young people of color who are advocating for our basic human rights, are exhibiting 'threatening and violent behavior toward GEO,'" the group says in its response letter. "We are advocating the end to your harmful and violent carceral behavior, which countless news reports, lawsuits, and government investigations have already established."

Dream Defenders, which was founded in 2012, has regularly protested GEO Group's private prison work, including in a new video series launched in July called "Dream Killers." The series uses a child actor to talk about GEO's political influence. The Defenders are also planning nationwide GEO protests tomorrow.

In its cease-and-desist letter, GEO claims those protests amount to an "intentional campaign to not only defame GEO's business reputation, but incite disruption at GEO's facilities around the country." By encouraging national protests, Dream Defenders' "proposed actions go well beyond the parameters of protected free speech (by) encouraging threatening and violent behavior toward GEO and its employees."

What's more, Short claims in her letter, Dream Defenders have incited that blowback with "false statements." Specifically, GEO singles out claims that the for-profit prison company "separates families," that the company "cages" children, that GEO "puts Black, Latino, and poor White people into jail," and that the company exerts "improper influence over the United States political system."

GEO also claims that Dream Defenders published an "incorrect" list of politicians who have taken cash from the firm, including Florida's Rick Scott, Adam Putnam, and Lauren Book, plus New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. (Those donations, of course, are a matter of public record and have been well-documented in the press.)

In its response this morning, Dream Defenders tackle those allegedly false claims one by one.

The claim that GEO is "caging children"?

"You hold children behind bars, fences, and/or in locked facilities," Dream Defenders note. "GEO’s own website details facilities across the country used to detain children for federal and state governments. Your own promotional materials refer to 'standard GTI security equipment such as steel cages' in your transportation fleet. Just this week, conditions in your Karnes County, TX facility have forced hundreds of children and fathers into a strike to protest what they describe as 'being treated like animals.'"

What about the claim the company separates families?

"GEO’s CEO has highlighted the business opportunities that come with the Trump administration’s immigration policies in calls with analysts," Dream Defenders write. "GEO not only maintains the physical walls separating inmates and detained immigrants from their families, but has even profited off of the few moments of connection detainees have over the phone."

It's clear that GEO does incarcerate thousands of poor black, Latino, and white people, the group writes, adding that "just because GEO is not directly responsible for sentencing or deciding which families to incarcerate, detain or deport does not absolve the company of participating in a racist system of mass incarceration that has its roots in slavery and Jim Crow laws."

Dream Defenders also note that GEO has given millions to political action committees and writes that "'lawfully' influencing our politicians with donations is not the same as exercising it morally or properly." The group links to recent news stories that watchdogs are suing over GEO's donations to Trump's SuperPAC and another story that GEO recently moved its annual conference to Trump's golf resort in Doral.

GEO's cease-and-desist letter demands that the Dream Defenders delete their old social media posts and quit spreading "intentionally false and defamatory statements" about GEO.

Dream Defenders say there's no chance they'll do so.

"Threatening us with lawsuits won’t stop us from exposing the truth about what the GEO Group and other Dream Killers are doing to our communities," the group writes in its response letter. "Groups around the country are gearing up to stand against you this week. You’ll need more than flimsy legal maneuvers to stop us."

Interesting thought: If Donald Trump can be sued for blocking people on Twitter, then "Senator" Lauren Book can be sued, too.

Just a quick thought brought up by someone on Twitter yesterday after seeing Ron Book get a mental beatdown on the air. (I'm still laughing about it, BTW.) At any rate, Lauren Book's Twitter page isn't open to the public. This a Florida State Senator so afraid of public scrutiny, she has to screen all of her followers. (

Her Facebook page, however, is still open so feel free to flood her page with criticism of her vile actions. However, I'm sure this is only because Facebook doesn't do the same thing Twitter does, at least, not easily.

But it poses the question as to whether she could be sued for not sharing her government social media posts with the general public, including her constituents. After all, Trump has been sued for blocking critics on Twitter.

In fact, I think people have a better case against Lauren Book than against Trump. You see, if Trump block you, you can still read and comment on his Tweets (just not directly to him). Simply log out of your account or just open an incognito window and go to Trump's Twitter page and you can read and screenshoot his Tweets. With Lauren Book, her Tweets are "protected," meaning that every follower HAS TO BE APPROVED MANUALLY before her Tweets can be read. Now, Facebook does not have simple blanket policy. You have to take a few steps to lock down your personal account. You are given the opinion to make posts publicly or for it to only be seen among friends. However, you don't have to be a friend on FB to see FB posts set for public viewing.

I'd like to see someone sue this self-righteous professional victim with no value as a legislator. No legislator should be able to pick and choose who hears their messages. If you can't stand the heat, snowflake, resign. District 32 needs a better representative who isn't hiding behind protections because she cannot stand criticism.

That ugly face is probably a reaction to even a passing criticism. What a snowflake. 

The lowdown on Lauren Book's personal crusade against anti-registry activism & state of the Anti-Registry Movement

The true story behind the controversial "protection order" against Anti-Registry Movement activist Derek Logue is only one of the things Senator Lauren Book has tried to stymie the efforts of the Anti-Registry Movement over the past year. So far this year, we have seen the Book family assist the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners pass a local ordinance to arrest homeless registrants for being unable to find housing, as well as introduce HB 1301, intended to lower the time registered citizens can be in the state without registering. 

Since Derek Logue does at least a fair amount of the posting here, it seems silly to do a sit-down interview, so instead, we've invited him to just write something about this entire lawsuit ordeal and the rest of Senator Book's efforts to kill his activist efforts. 

On the Lawsuit

"First off, I'd like to mention that Lauren Book, or even Ron Book for that matter, came up with the idea to drag me to court. The lawsuit mentions getting a call from Ken Rau, who is a member of Parents For Megan's Law in Long Island (and some say is Laura Ahearn's rich boyfriend who helped fund her through law school), that other group trying to sue me in court. They told the Books about the Twitter posts and then told them to sue me, but since I don't have money and can't be intimidated by suing me for money I don't have, they decided to file a 'protection from abuse' order. 

In July, I received an 'anonymous' PM on Twitter from someone using the pseudonym Garl Pinkerton. He wrote, "Derek, I hear you are in a bit of a bind in Broward County.  What's your plan to dodge this?" It didn't take me long to figure out it came from someone connected to the Book family. It does not make sense to a reasonable man why someone would file a "protection from abuse" order against someone who is not in a relationship with someone or stalking anyone. However, her lawyer let it slip in court that they filed this protection order specifically because they knew suing me for money would not shut me up. A protection order would not stop my efforts against her, either, since aside from the Tribeca festival and the Rally in Tally, I haven't been anywhere near her. 

The truth is the Book family is desperate to stop my efforts because people are paying attention to them. This entire lawsuit was a Hail Mary pass intended to end my participation in a BBC film that I ended up not being left out of in the first place (which I suspect was at least partly the fault of the Book family. This isn't the first time that the Books have used their power and influence on film projects, just look at how our movement got screwed in the Untouchable film. Did you notice there were no interviews with any real anti-registry activists in that film? Feige sold out because he cared more about selling a story than telling the truth, and that is why I think his film is trash. 

Some of the Book family's tactics against me constitute harassment. Their representatives have called my registration office multiple times in a failed attempt to get me in trouble. PFML has tried the same tactic as well. One of them had called my registration office back in July, wanting me to get in trouble for calling them a "cunt." Whoever called claimed to be a State Senator from NY. Well, I have called people cunts in the past, among other things, but I did not know any state Senators or have spoken to one, so I had an idea that either PFML reps or Lauren Book called my registration office. It did not get the desired result, because calling someone a cunt might piss someone off but it is not a crime. 

This entire lawsuit is just an attempt to intimidate me. While the lawsuit is ongoing, there isn't any evidence that would make a reasonable person say there is "stalking" going on. Lauren Book is a public figure, and public criticism of her is not stalking. They issued a court summons to drag me to court just so I could testify that every retweet of news articles criticizing her, every post someone made online she did not like, and every comment others posted in response to my sharing of news articles were introduced as 'evidence' of 'stalking.' Then I got questioned about how OnceFallen.com is funded; I'd love an explanation as to why that is relevant."

"I'd be shocked if Lauren wins her suit, seeing as how there is nothing to suggest a threat of any kind against her, but then again, she is banking on prejudice against those on the registry rather than actual facts." 

On reaction to the lawsuit:

"Speaking of funds and support for OnceFallen, I've always been disappointed in the lack of support for the work I do, including not participating in research surveys I conduct or joining me in public awareness campaigns. If anyone thinks I findraise to make a profit, they are sorely mistaken. So I'm not surprised at all that a number of people who are supposedly anti-registry bashed me and campaigned against me once word of the lawsuit got out. Yet, the same people who bashed me because I cuss on occasion threw their support behind someone whose son was in an FBI standoff  and wanted to make excuses for that guy. That pisses me off to no end. Ultimately, if I quit fighting for the rights of former offenders, it will be because of these folks and not people like Book.

Support was down in 2017 yet requests for assistance has gone up considerably. I continue to offer what many other websites don't do-- offer info to help people find housing, employment and support services. Fighting the laws are important, but people are't able to help when they are too busy trying to find a house and a job. But for 2018, I'll be slowing down my efforts due to the low level of support. I want to do more. Someone should have been down in Miami besides an ACLU attorney testifying against the Miami ordinance. Where were the registrant activists? I wanted to go but my finances are in bad shape. The Books are aware of my lack of funds and are trying to win by attrition." 

On lawsuits in general:

"I am tired of seeing laws pass because it seems folks just want to wait for a lawyer to save us. Lawsuits are expensive. I am very fortunate to have someone paying for attorneys in my battle with PFML and an attorney representing me pro bono in the idiotic Book suit, but do you realize that the PFML lawsuit bill is already at $30k and I am STILL awaiting my day in court!. Imagine how much more costly a class action would be with a team of lawyers. Fighting bills before they become law is far less expensive, folks. It takes some of your time to do it, but bills pass because if no one opposes them, the belief is that everyone wants this law and it passes. Instead of having a bunch of lazy fools waiting on money to fall from the sky so we can fund expensive litigation, we need to fill up legislative halls with people opposing bad legislation." 

On the Book family and their personal crusade:

"People are mad because I call the Books names, but they call us monsters, incurable, creeping crud, and ticking time bombs. They have repeatedly called my registration office in attempts to intimidate me. Obviously, they are trying to use the courts for the same purpose. They are primarily responsible for forcing so many of Miami's registrant homeless population into homelessness. And as Senator, Lauren Book is trying to pass more legislation to stop us from speaking out against her. 

Book's HB 1301 is nothing but a thinly-veiled effort to stop anti-registry activists from organizing. Since Floridians aren't standing up for themselves, I and many of those who attended my Rally in Tally in 2015 were from out-of-state. This bill serves no purpose but to limit our rights to engage in peaceful demonstrations. That should be painfully obvious.

Senator Book should be brought up on ethics charges. She has done absolutely nothing useful in her time as Senator, save giving herself millions of dollars while sitting on Appropriations subcommittees. Of course, it should come as no shock that her only bills are against those on the registry. She is a very vindictive, evil person and is the worst kind of politician you can have in office. She should be challenged by more people, but it seems I'm the only one not afraid to take her down."