Citing a new Utah state law aimed at stopping abusive lawsuits that threaten free speech, the 130-year-old Millard County Chronicle Progress newspaper has asked a judge to dismiss a $19.2 million lawsuit brought by a developer over reporting published by the paper. The rural newspaper says a suit brought by Fillmore land developer Wayne Aston was filed in an effort to silence reporters through a prolonged and expensive legal battle.
The suit claims the newspaper, through reporting by editor and writer Matt Ward, harmed his business by causing readers to “distrust, hate and despise” him and his company and that the negative press caused several lenders to reject his loan applications.
The series of six articles reported on Ashton’s announced plans to build a Please log in to see the rest of this story.
