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Crushing defeat for Dirty Politics PR man with apology to defamed academics | The Spinoff

'Hit' jobs case: PR consultant apologises and promises cash to settle defamation case that came from Dirty Politics - NZ Herald

Payment, apology in Dirty Politics case (newsroom.co.nz)

From The Spinoff:

 

One of the last chapters of Nicky Hager’s Dirty Politics book has been closed, with PR man Carrick Graham admitting to and apologising for defaming public health academics for money. 

 

Graham paid former Whale Oil blogger Cameron Slater to place articles on his now defunct site that attacked the University of Otago’s Doug Sellman, the University of Auckland’s Boyd Swinburn, and former Māori Smokefree Coalition director Shane Bradbrook. 

 

The plaintiffs alleged that the articles were written on behalf of the NZ Food and Grocery Council, and aimed to smear the reputations of the academics in order to discredit their research. Slater was paid thousands of dollars a month by Graham. 

 

That council, which comprises industry lobbyists who often advocate on behalf of the alcohol business, had previously opted to settle with the academics before this trial began. Slater meanwhile had indicated he had “consented to judgment” , and was not in court today. 

 

Opening arguments started today in the socially distanced Auckland High Court, but the court was adjourned for discussions to take place between the parties. After a lengthy break, Graham’s lawyer Chris Patterson returned to read the public apology. 

 

“Mr Graham made various defamatory comments about the plaintiffs using various pseudonyms on blogs published on Mr Slater’s Whale Oil website. He encouraged, inspired and contributed to the text of certain defamatory blog posts about the plaintiffs that were published on Whale Oil, including making payments to Cameron Slater,” Patterson told the court. 

 

“Mr Graham did so as part of his business, and in order to advance the interests of industry. Mr Graham apologises for the hurt and harm caused to the plaintiffs by these blog posts and comments.”