Defendants in Libel Suit Call Attacks on Blaszcak Fair Play

The defendants in a libel and slander lawsuit brought by Vice Mayor Frank Blaszcak filed a response this week saying that past campaign statements they allegedly made about him, including assertions that he was involved in drug sales, were merely part of fair political play.

In papers filed Tuesday in Pasadena Superior Court, the 12 defendants, all of whom opposed Blaszcak in last year’s City Council election, questioned the legal basis for Blaszcak’s suit, characterizing it as “an improper effort to resist a recall effort directed at him.”

The statements in question “do not amount to more than the usual slings and arrows which members of society are expected to encounter--especially when they throw themselves into hotly contested local elections,” their response said.

The defendants, including a councilman, a former mayor, two former planning commissioners and the executive director of the Chamber of Commerce, challenged Blaszcak’s claim that he had been the victim of “intentional infliction of emotional distress” by political rivals.

“Mr. Blaszcak certainly must have expected to meet vigorous opposition, harsh criticism and attacks upon his character and qualifications for the office he was seeking,” the defendants said in papers prepared for them by the Los Angeles law firm of Beck & De Corso. “This has always been an essential element of American politics.”

Blaszcak, who filed his suit three weeks ago, said Wednesday that he had not yet been served with the defendants’ response. “Slander and libel stand on their own,” he said in responding to the assertion that allegations against him were normal for American political campaigning.

Blaszcak was elected to the City Council last year, after a bitterly contested campaign, as part of a three-man slate of slow-growth candidates. He faces a recall election May 23.

One issue that has surfaced frequently during last year’s council campaign and this year’s recall drive is a charge by Santa Ana police 10 years ago that Blaszcak, who was then that city’s public information director, had offered to procure drugs for a police officer. The allegations were investigated by the district attorney, who decided not to file charges because of insufficient evidence.

Drug Allegation

During the council campaign, a flyer put out by a group called Concerned Citizens of San Gabriel accused Blaszcak of being “involved in drug sales.”

Some of the defendants in Blaszcak’s suit were members of the group that put out the flyer.

City Councilman Sabino Cici, one of the defendants, said the quick response was an attempt by the defendants to “get into the arena.”

“We still haven’t been served with his complaint,” said Cici. “He’s got three years to serve us. This could be held over our heads for a long time. If any of us were trying to buy a home, say, we’d have to declare that we were engaged in a lawsuit.”

He said the defendants’ response allows them to subpoena records and testimony and to force Blaszcak to make a deposition in the presence of the defendants’ lawyer.

“In my opinion, it’s to Frank’s advantage to drop the lawsuit now and pay our attorney,” Cici said. “There are some heavy attorney’s fees involved here. In the end, we’ll file a malicious prosecution suit to recover our attorney’s fees.” He estimated that the defendants’ total legal fees could amount to $250,000.