Former deputy sues Virginia attorney general’s office for defamation

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Former Virginia Deputy Attorney General Jason S. Miyares is suing her old boss and colleagues for defamation, saying they misrepresented her firing in February over Facebook posts praising the Jan. 6 riots and falsely claiming Donald Trump had won the presidential nomination. elections in 2020

Monique Miles, who was in charge of election integrity for the office, alleged that Miyares’ office falsely told the media that she had resigned and was not transparent about the positions during job interviews. The suit, filed in Richmond District Court last week, seeks $1 million in damages.

Names Miyares; his chief of staff DJ Jordan; and three other prosecutor’s officers as defendants.

“Because Jason Miyares and DJ Jordan (and the other defendants), in their personal and official capacities, knowingly and publicly maliciously defamed me, I was forced to file this lawsuit to clear my good name and reputation,” Miles said Monday in a statement.

Victoria LaCivita, a spokeswoman for Miyares, said in a statement that the office would not comment on Miles’ allegations about her departure, but was “committed to vigorously defending” against the lawsuit and “is confident that our legal position is strong.”

“Despite this unfortunate distraction, the Attorney General remains resolute in protecting and serving the interests of the citizens of Virginia,” LaCivita said.

Miles separated from the office as The Washington Post prepared to publish a story revealing the posts on a personal Facebook page. In the hours after the attack on the Capitol began on January 6, 2021, Miles called the rebels “patriots”.

Virginia’s Deputy Attorney General Resigns After Facebook Posts Revealed

“News: Patriots storm Capitol. No surprise. The Deep State has awakened the sleeping giant,” Miles wrote, according to a screenshot of the post. “The Patriots are not taking this lying down. We are awake, ready and will fight for our rights by any means necessary.

Miles later edited the post to blame the violence on antifa masquerading as “patriots.” In another post in the weeks after the 2020 election, she wrote that “thugs on the left better admit” that Trump “is going to get a second term.”

In a statement to The Post before the article was published in February, Miles said she made the comments on Facebook as the news of Jan. 6 and the 2020 election was still unfolding. She said she later accepted that Joe Biden had won the election.

Miles disclosed in her lawsuit that she attended the Stop Theft rally at the Ellipse on Jan. 6, but did not march to the Capitol with other protesters.

In February, LaCivita said Miles resigned when confronted about the posts. She said the office was not aware of the Facebook posts before The Post asked about them, and she chided Miles for a “lack of transparency” in not disclosing the posts during her job interviews.

In her lawsuit, Miles claims she told Miyares’ office she had done nothing wrong and had no plans to resign after The Post approached Miyares’ office about the posts, but it was clear she would no longer works for the office.

She also claimed that she was friends with Jordan on Facebook and that he would have seen her posts. Miles claims she was never asked about her views on Jan. 6 or the 2020 election during job interviews.

In the lawsuit, Miles claims that public statements from the attorney general’s office damaged her reputation and cost her clients in her private law practice. Miles is an employment attorney based in Alexandria. She had previously unsuccessfully run for councilor there.

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