O’Rourke denies billionaire oil executive’s defamation allegations

Beto O’Rourke on Monday officially responded to a defamation lawsuit brought against him by a billionaire oil executive, denying all the allegations.

As the Dallas Morning News reported, O’Rourke did not seek the dismissal of the case against him in his court filing. He told the newspaper that he looked forward to having the case unfold in front of Texas residents and voters.

Kelcy Warren, the co-founder of Energy Transfer and a top donor to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R), filed a defamation lawsuit against O’Rourke earlier this month after the Democratic gubernatorial candidate criticized him for receiving a windfall following the major Texas winter storms that took out power in much of the state last year. O’Rourke also criticized Warren for making a donation to Abbott following the storms.

Warren accused O’Rourke of waging a “relentless and malicious attack” and alleged libel and slander. He is seeking more than $1 million in damages, The Texas Tribune reported. A spokesperson for Warren’s company said the lawsuit was filed personally by the executive.

They said the suit is not seeking to prevent O’Rourke from talking about the storm but seeks to stop him from making “irresponsible, defamatory and highly offensive statements” regarding Warren’s $1 million donation to Abbott.

“Defendant denies each and every, all and singular, the allegations asserted by Plaintiff in his Original Petition and demand strict proof thereof by a preponderance of the evidence as required by the laws and Constitution of the State of Texas,” O’Rourke’s lawyers said in their filing.

“I am ready for this fight,” O’Rourke told the News. “And like all Texans, I look forward to hearing Abbott explain to us why he chose the profits of his corporate donors instead of the people of Texas.”

“Warren’s frivolous lawsuit makes the case for why we need new leadership in this state — leadership that will look out for families instead of corporations, leadership that can keep the lights on and the people of Texas safe,” he added.