Former gubernatorial candidate Chris Jones filed a defamation lawsuit against Arkansas Senate President Bart Hester on Thursday over a social media post that accused Jones of "taking a Pro Hamas Terrorist position."
Jones, who ran unsuccessfully as the Democratic candidate for governor in 2022, said in a post on X the lawsuit filed in Pulaski County Circuit Court is "bigger than politics" but is rather about "human decency and about making bullying with false rhetoric a costly endeavor." He is represented by Rogers-based attorney Tom Mars and Fayetteville-based attorney Kathryn Elizabeth Platt.
In his complaint, Jones states Hester made the statement "with malice or in reckless disregard of the consequences from which malice may be inferred." He also says the Republican state senator's refusal to delete the post and publicly retract the statement was a malicious act.
"Mr. Hester's defamatory tweet was not just an inadvertent, stupid mistake, nor a momentary lapse of judgment," the complaint states. "It was part of deliberate pattern of conduct that he has been engaged in for many months."
Jones' complaint centers on a May 1 post made by Hester on X, formerly known as Twitter. The post came as a reply to one from Jones, who was replying to a post by Arkansas Times Editor Austin Gelder.
"Are there any instances where mass student protests turned out to be wrong?" Gelder asks in her post. "Vietnam, post-911 invasions based on WMDs that didn't actually exist. Like, the kids were right. Have they ever been wrong? Genuinely asking."
Jones posted in response, "We would do well to NOT ignore them."
About an hour and a half later, Hester reposted Jones' message, adding, "@ArkDems 2022 Governor nominee @JonesForAR taking a Pro Hamas Terrorist position. @JonesForAR may want to take a knee to terrorist sympathizers. I personally think hand cuffs and expulsion letters is the best way to NOT ignore them."
According to the complaint, Jones' attorneys emailed Hester the next day asking him to delete the post and retract the statement that he had taken a "Pro-Hamas Terrorist position." The post remained visible online Thursday, however, with it having received roughly 51,000 views by 6 p.m., as well as 117 comments, 11 likes and 27 reposts.
In the statement Jones posted Thursday on X, he said the Senate president should "engage in vigorous debate about ideas and policies. However, they do not get to use their platform to lie about and slander citizens of the State who hold different views."
Hester did not immediately respond Thursday to a voicemail and email seeking comment on the lawsuit. Mars also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.