Goguen files suit against Missouri candidate

Whitefish businessman Michael Goguen has taken to the offensive in an effort to mend his public image.

A defamation lawsuit filed by Goguen’s lawyers last week in Missouri’s St. Charles County Circuit Court claims Goguen’s name is being “dragged through the mud” in the name of politics.

The complaint says defendant John Brunner, a Republican candidate for Missouri governor, “has knowingly and maliciously spread demonstrable lies” about Goguen and sexual abuse accusations Goguen is facing in a high-profile civil suit.

Early in the election, Goguen made a $1 million donation to the campaign of Eric Greitens, one of Brunner’s opponents in the Missouri Republican gubernatorial primary. Greitens refused to return the donation in the wake of the allegations against Goguen, and the contribution was used as an attack point for his opponents throughout the campaign.

According to Goguen’s complaint, Brunner went after Greitens for accepting Goguen’s contribution, saying in a televised debate, “I refuse to be lectured by a guy who took $1 million from the owner of a teenage sex slave.”

The complaint notes, “He made this comment without regard to the truth of the matter or its impact on Mr. Goguen and did so solely for his own, short-term political and personal gain.”

Brunner’s campaign also posted similar accusations to Twitter and made similar comments to the press.

“Unfortunately for Mr. Goguen, the efforts to rehabilitate his reputation have been impeded and sidetracked by Mr. Brunner’s malicious and false attack on Mr. Goguen’s character,” the complaint states.

Goguen, 52, is in the midst of a breach-of-contract lawsuit with Amber Laurel Baptiste filed in March in California’s San Mateo County Court.

In her civil suit, Baptiste, 35, alleges Goguen sexually and emotionally abused her during their relationship and then refused to pay her an agreed-upon $40 million to keep her quiet about the abuse.

Baptiste says Goguen paid her an initial $10 million but hasn’t paid the remaining balance. She is suing for breach of contract and asking the court to reward her the remaining $30 million.

In a counter-complaint, Goguen says he is being extorted by Baptiste and that she fabricated the abuse accusations. His lawyers note that his relationship with Baptiste occurred while she was an adult.

The case is set to go to trial next year.

The Missouri defamation suit filed last week says that since Baptiste filed her complaint, “her story has collapsed under the weight of the lies upon which it was based.”

Goguen’s lawyers note that the San Mateo court has permitted Baptiste’s counsel to withdraw from the case and that she now represents herself.

His lawyers say that during the course of the California litigation, Baptiste sent texts with graphic and disturbing threats toward the law firm representing Goguen.

Upon seeing these messages, the complaint says, Baptiste’s attorneys filed a motion to be relieved from representing her.

Baptiste, a Canadian citizen, also has been barred from re-entering the United States, the complaint goes on, “presumably because of the discovery of her attempted immigration fraud.”

Goguen’s attorneys also have brought forth an affidavit from Baptiste’s former roommate, who contradicts allegations that Baptiste was ever a victim of trafficking, as she alleged in her complaint against Goguen.

“From the revelation that Ms. Baptiste committed immigration fraud, to the exposure of Ms. Baptiste’s many lies, and culminating in the California Court permitting Ms. Baptiste’s attorneys to withdraw, Mr. Goguen’s reputation was beginning to turn a corner before Mr. Brunner’s recent defamatory statements,” the complaint says.

The complaint says accusations made by Brunner have exposed Goguen to “hatred, contempt, and ridicule and deprived him of public confidence and social association.”

Goguen is seeking damages to be determined at a jury trial.

Goguen lives part-time in his sprawling estate at Two Bear Ranch on the west shore of Whitefish Lake and has been a prominent philanthropist, business owner and developer in the Flathead Valley.

He earned his wealth as a venture capitalist at California-based Sequoia Capital.

He was released from his post at the company following the accusations.