Former congresswoman Katie Hill filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles on Tuesday that claims ex-husband and the owners of Redstate.com and the Daily Mail distributed sexual images of her that amounted to "nonconsensual porn."
The suit claims the outlets did not have a "carte blanche right" under the First Amendment to "sexually degrade and expose public officials."
From NBC News:
The 41-page lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages for emotional distress and violation of state law for distribution of intimate personal material without Hill's consent, lists as defendants Salem Media Group Inc., Mail Media, Inc., as well as writer Jennifer Van Laar, the deputy managing editor of Redstate.com whose work also has appeared in the Daily Mail, and Joseph Messina, the host of "The Real Side" Radio Show, as well as other unnamed individuals.
The legal action comes two weeks after a judge approved a temporary restraining order against Kenny Heslep, Hill's ex-husband, directing him to stay 100 yards away from his ex-wife, her relatives and pets. In seeking the order, Hill said she feared for her life and detailed 15 years of alleged abuse by Heslep, including accusations that he choked her unconscious, threatened her with a gun, abused her pets and released sexually explicit pictures of her.
The civil lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court by attorneys Carrie Goldberg and Ashley Parris, goes further in targeting the media outlets that Hill alleges helped Heslep destroy her political career and continue to damage her reputation.
Read more: Former Rep. Katie Hill sues ex-husband, Daily Mail, Redstate.com over 'nonconsensual porn'
