Fired State Treasurer’s Outreach Manager Files Suit Against Chief Of Staff

KATV’s Marine Glisovic reports:

More controversy coming out of State Treasurer Dennis Milligan’s office following a defamation suit filed this morning against his Chief of Staff Jim Harris.

Harris is accused of making slanderous and defamatory remarks via emails about fired Outreach Manager David Singer while he was still employed by Milligan’s office.

“Mr. Harris is continuing to spin tragic circumstances for Mr. Milligan’s own personal gain…and I for one am ready to pull the veil back and have Mr. Harris come into court and defend his actions individually, we’re not asking for a single dime of public money in this lawsuit,” said Singer’s Attorney, Luther Sutter.

The lawsuit was filed Thursday morning in the Pulaski County Circuit Court. According to court documents, Harris published false statements about Singer’s lack of mental health to co-workers, Milligan, or the press, and that Harris began speaking about singer’s wife in a disgusting manner.

“Mr. Singer’s wife died from breast cancer last June and Mr. Harris used that tragic situation to turn it into a political game,” said Sutter.

Following Singer’s termination, he sat down with KATV, but the day before the interview Harris delivered two emails to the Channel 7 newsroom. In a meeting at Channel 7 on April 30, Harris suggested KATV request these emails through a verbal Freedom of Information Act request, and then he produced the paper copies of the emails seconds later.

In it, Harris writes about a Facebook post Singer wrote.

“Sometimes he posts messages two or three times a day as if she could read what he says on Facebook.”

He goes on to say, “I continue to suspect that David has mental problems.”

In a separate email, Harris claims that Singer sent Facebook “pokes” to a female coworker and other behaviors made her feel uncomfortable.

“What that email was…is the first step at deflecting responsibility from Dennis Milligan, and Jim Harris and Jason Brady and all of the other senior campaign people onto Mr. Singer…that’s the first step…now when they take the second step, then I’ll be there,” added Sutter.

The attorney general will be representing Harris according to Spokesman Judd Deere. Deere tells Channel 7 they’re currently reviewing the case and have no further comment.

Milligan’s office did release this statement:

“The allegations made by Mr. Singer are untrue. The actions taken by Jim Harris were done so in his official capacity as Chief of Staff. This matter has been referred to the Attorney General’s office.”

Click here to read the emails written by Harris.