PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — The attorney for the owner of Elizabeth Manor Golf & Country Club has filed a lawsuit against Portsmouth Vice-Mayor Lisa Lucas-Burke alleging that her mayoral campaign advertisements disparaged his business.
Lucas-Burke’s campaign ran an ad alleging corruption in the city government involving incumbent and mayor-elect Shannon Glover and the golf club to keep it from having to pay taxes.
Andy Fox addressed the ad in a Truther Tracker investigation in October. The suit cites some of that reporting.
Dwight Schaubach, who bought the property in 2020, claims that Lucas-Burke knowingly lied in the ad. According to the suit, he sent a letter in mid-August to her explaining that the business had not received preferential tax treatment and had paid all of its taxes since he bought it.
“In this letter, Schaubach explained that not only had Elizabeth Manor paid $213,565.91 in taxes since Schaubach’s acquisition, but after meeting with the city assessor, they were informed that they were entitled to a refund of $29,843.70 from the City of Portsmouth due to an overpayment of taxes on land that qualifies under a state program for open space,” the suit reads.
The suit then addresses Lucas-Burke’s interview with Fox, arguing that it showed she knew the ad was inaccurate at the time it was running, but didn’t pull it or change it.
“When Lucas-Burke was told that Schaubach said he has been paying all his taxes, Lucas-Burke admitted that her statements in her advertisement were false and stated ‘I am not disputing that… I knew he paid taxes on the bill,'” the suit reads. When asked if she was going to take the ad down, she stated she was not going to take the ad down.
Schaubach’s attorney is requesting $5 million in compensatory damages and $350,000 in punitive damages.
Lucas-Burke was contacted for this story but offered no comment.
