PHOENIX — A Maricopa County judge ruled in favor The Young Agency, a Phoenix company that became collateral damage in Wendy Rogers’ latest failed campaign for Congress. The judge found that the plaintiff’s lawsuit against the wild-eyed Rogers, “sufficiently alleges a defamation claim” and did not dismiss the case.
Rogers, a perpetual candidate for Congress, defeated her Republican primary opponent, former State Senator Steve Smith, by allegedly defaming his employer, the Young Agency. Rogers claimed that the agency, run by Pamela Young, a devoted Christian and former model, was connected to sex trafficking.
In her request for dismissal, Rogers claimed that “none of the defendant’s statements directly tied the Young Agency to Model Mayhem,” according to PinalCentral.com, but the judge disagreed.
According to PinalCentral.com, “The Rogers campaign made a website called “Slimy Steve,” which claimed Smith’s job associated him with Model Mayhem, a modeling promotion site that some media reports have linked to sex trafficking.” While numerous law enforcement leaders and representatives of the major Arizona law enforcement agencies held a press conference to slam Rogers’ dishonest attacks, Rogers doubled down and spent tens of thousands of dollars spreading her dishonest message around most of Arizona.
Young is suing Rogers, her husband Hal Kunnen, and Wendyrogers.org. Mike Liburdi recently withdrew as Rogers’ attorney in early February after he was nominated for the federal bench.
O’Halleran was at risk of losing his seat, however Rogers’ dirty campaign turned off many of her GOP base voters and independent voters as well, and she never did get traction coming out of the Primary. It was at least Rogers’ fifth defeat for office since she first started trying to get elected more than a decade ago.