Susan B. Anthony List v. Driehaus
United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
805 F. Supp. 2d 423 (2011)
Stephen Driehaus (defendant), a congressman with a pro-life reputation, filed a complaint with the Ohio Election Commission claiming that proposed advertisements from Susan B. Anthony List (SBA) (plaintiff) contained defamatory statements accusing him of voting for taxpayer-funded abortion and of ordering a billboard company to refuse SBA's advertising pending resolution of the dispute. SBA sued seeking declaratory and injunctive relief against the commission, and Driehaus counterclaimed for defamation; SBA moved for summary judgment, arguing its statements were not defamatory.
Whether a statement is defamatory if it reflects injuriously on a person's reputation, exposes the person to public hatred or shame, or adversely affects the person in his or her profession.