http://www.thetimesnews.com/news/suit-46237-libel-local.html
Local activist files response in libel suit
Comments 1
July 25, 2011 4:44 PM
Michael D. Abernethy / Times-News
A former president of the Professional Golfers’ Association and former owner of Quarry Hills Country Club in Graham has brought a libel lawsuit against a Mebane publisher.
In an action filed last spring, William C. Mann contends that Dale Swiggett — publisher of Waterfront Sportsman magazine and an environmental activist with the Environmental Investigation Coalition — published false and harmful statements in an April 2010 article. The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
In a response to the suit filed this summer, Swiggett claims his accusations are true and backed up by documents and evidence “of a 40-year Ponzi scheme.” Swiggett is representing himself in the case.
In the April 2010 article, Swiggett claims Mann created “bogus unbuildable lots” that have defrauded banks and that he purchased a home in Cherry Grove, S.C., after declaring bankruptcy. He also claims Mann and others diverted funds from non-profits and other agencies to improve amenities at the country club but never did so. Swiggett claims his property at Quarry Hills was ruined by improper site grading that caused flooding and property damage.
Mann’s lawsuit also claims Swiggett sent a libelous email to a federal judge in Mann’s bankruptcy case and that Swiggett filed the communication in the bankruptcy case. The email alleged “fraud, lack of disclosure, and conflicts of interest by Will Mann,” the suit states.
Mann is asking for $500,000 in compensatory damages and other punitive damages.
In a response filed June 28 of this year, Swiggett requests the court hear the case further.
“It is my humble opinion that the Court should look beyond the Plaintiff’s allegation of libel and slander and ask why would a publisher write an article if it was true, had the public documents and other investors’ testimonies to prove it, and the Plaintiff still chooses to file a complaint,” Swiggett wrote. “The allegations by harmed parties are not civil but expose a high level of corruption and criminal activity within the Mann bankruptcy and prior to his filing that has harmed many people …”
On June 14, a federal magistrate judge denied the plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment and denied Swiggett’s motion for dismissal of the case, and motions to take depositions, remove the plaintiff’s counsel and calendar the case.
U.S. Magistrate Judge David W. Daniel said in his decision that issues of fact should proceed to a courtroom hearing.
Swiggett wanted the court to remove James B. Craven III as Mann’s attorney, and alleged in court documents that Craven conspired with Mann to defraud the bankruptcy court and Quarry Hills residents. Daniel cited case law to deny his request.
“Defendant appears to believe that Plaintiff’s counsel is part of a conspiracy to ‘cover up environmental injustices to low income citizens of Swepsonville’ and a ‘25-year pattern of fraudulent misappropriations that include bank fraud by the Plaintiff and others,’” Daniel wrote in his decision. “Disqualification of an opposing party’s counsel is a serious matter which cannot be based on imagined scenarios of conflict, and the moving party has a high standard of proof to meet in order to prove that counsel should be disqualified.”
Swiggett considers himself an environmental whistleblower and refers to himself as a “Super Whistle Blower” on his website, and alleges deep conspiracies within the state’s Democratic Party and businesses to defraud banks, harm landowners and cover up unsafe practices.
He is opposed to the use of sewage waste solids on farmland as fertilizer. In 2008, he spoke for more than an hour at a Burlington City Council meeting about the dangers of waste solid spreading. At that meeting, another speaker placed a jar of human waste on the council dais during a demonstration. Burlington contracts with waste solid disposal company Synagro to convert byproducts from its sewage system into solid material, which is then used on Alamance County farms.
In a response filed April 15 in the case, Swiggett filed a third-party complaint naming dozens of defendants, including Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer, N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper, LabCorp, Burlington Mayor Ronnie Wall, Burlington City Manager Harold Owen, and Synagro. Swiggett alleged environmental crimes and cover ups by those parties.
Craven called the motion irrelevant and “legal nonsense” and moved to have the third-party complaint stricken from the case.
Court documents could not be found online related to a judge’s decision as to whether Swiggett’s third-party complaint was stricken.
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The sewage waste solids as fertilizers is discussed in this post: Sewage Sludge an Educational Review
Slander & libel isn’t backed by facts, proof, documents, etc, etc. Slander is false accusations.
The judge would’ve thrown Dale Swiggett out on his ass and ordered him to pay the $500,000 if there was NO foundation for any of the things he’s said.
Some will say what Dale has to say is just a big conspiracy theory. Sure, it sounds like one. I’m sure Watergate sounded like one and that whole Ponzi Scheme mess sounded like one too. I’ve always believed that if something is a conspiracy theory when it’s talked about people just brush it off, laugh at it, or dig into it with curiosity. If something isn’t a conspiracy theory when people hear about it they get pissed off, start suing people, start killing off people, start making people “disappear”, start covering their tracks, etc. etc. Whenever these issues that Dale and others speak about are heard throughout the general public some folk get pissed off and angry. It’s the equivalent of watching a bully on a playground get punked by a weaker opponent; they start shouting ugly things and get angry that their wolf clothing has been snatched to reveal they are a sheep.
People are going to say negative things about Dale Swiggett as a matter of fact here are comments from Will Mann or someone with a very similar name:
| wilton oh7mann@hotmail.com 24.211.193.81 |
Submitted on 2011/01/23 at 9:36 pm
dale swigget is a liar he has no class! on top of that he has no proff of what he is saying. this is a man that while he was a member of qhcc he never paid his bills. his own kids would damage the golf course. he has let the courts in nc know that he was in a psychiatric ward for six months. wow now you all know just what kind of man dale swigget is. no class no honor no truth!!!! |
| wilton oh7mann@hotmail.com 24.211.193.81 |
Submitted on 2011/01/23 at 10:10 pm
oh by the way dale swiggett is a FELON!!!!!! YOU all now know!!!!he is a F E L O N! doc#0492337 NASH CO. NC. |
| wilton oh7mann@hotmail.com 24.211.193.81 |
Submitted on 2011/01/24 at 7:08 am
ask him about Person co also! what about being bipoler? WOW !!!! how many times has he been sued? FRAUD,FELON,LIEBALE, what is next for this so called man? |
| wilton oh7mann@hotmail.com 24.211.193.81 |
Submitted on 2011/01/24 at 7:49 am
dale is a FELON and a FRAUD he knows it and soon the whole world will too. |
| wilton oh7mann@hotmail.com 24.211.193.81 |
Submitted on 2011/01/24 at 7:51 am
dale swiggett is not a whistle blower but we all know just what he blows! |
| wilton oh7mann@hotmail.com 24.211.193.81 |
Submitted on 2011/01/24 at 8:04 am
dale swiggett is a felon to. he is being sued for fraud and has been sued for fraud in the past. |
| wilton oh7mann@hotmail.com 24.211.193.81 |
Submitted on 2011/01/24 at 8:07 am
DONT TRUST MD SWIGGETT HE HIS A FRAUD AND A CONVICTED FELON!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
Our Eyes Are On The Water! 