MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – Charles Lee, the owner of That’s My Child and That’s my Dog, has filed a defamation lawsuit against Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed.
This is the latest fallout from audio recordings released in February that featured Reed going on a profanity-laced tirade about Black voters, white investments and Maxwell Air Force Base. Reed held a press conference the day after it was released and accused Lee of illegally releasing the recordings in an effort to extort him.
Reed also called Lee a “liar,” “shyster” and “hustler.”
Lee has denied releasing the recordings and is suing the mayor for defamation. The lawsuit claims Reed has harmed Lee’s reputation.
In April, Lee filed a claim against the city , saying he intended to sue Reed.
The mayor has previously said he intends to sue Lee over the alleged extortion. No such lawsuit has been filed so far.
Joe Espy, a lawyer for Reed, said, “The city and the mayor will vigorously defend and absolutely dispute the contentions made in the lawsuit.”
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