Sally Gump is taking a vacation.
And after fighting what seems to be two imaginary lawsuits against her for the past four months, a break is probably in order.
“You know, I’m happy to take two months off,” Gump says. “I’ve decided I’m not going to screw up my holidays because of those two. … But I’ll be back. I’m going to continue the recall effort.”
The St. Helens mother and local political activist has made news headlines over the past several months — first for her efforts to recall two St. Helens city councilors and then for the defamation suit those two councilors filed against her.
But after hiring an attorney to fight the libel suits, Gump learned last month that city councilors Doug Morten and Phil Barlow had never really sued her.
According to Columbia County Circuit Judge Steven B. Reed, until the two men’s attorney, James Huffman, served Gump the proper paperwork, there were no lawsuits.
The judge said Oct. 27 that Barlow had until Nov. 3 to serve Gump the correct paperwork and Morten had until Nov. 4.
When those deadlines came and went, Gump realized she wouldn’t have to fend off libel suits. She and her attorney, Michael Sheehan, believe the councilors filed the suits to scare people away from Gump’s recall efforts.
“People were really scared,” Gump said Monday, nearly a week after Barlow and Morten missed the filing deadlines. “Now I have more people willing to help me, willing to get rid of the bad seeds. People here want city people to work for them and not for themselves and their own agendas.”
Because the two men didn’t follow up on their lawsuits, Reed had no jurisdiction to rule on Gump’s attorney’s motion to dismiss the suits, which meant he also couldn’t award attorney’s fees to Gump.
As it turns out, Sheehan has said he won’t charge Gump for his services.
“I’m grateful he didn’t charge me,” Gump said. “I would be really (angry) if I’d had to pay for this.”
One thing that did upset Gump was the fact that Morten, who was unsuccessful in his recent bid against incumbent St. Helens Mayor Randy Peterson, stopped at the Gumps’ house during his campaign stops.
When Gump asked him about the defamation lawsuit, she says Morten told her “It was out of his hands.”
“He said Mr. Barlow was going to proceed with his suit, but then it never happened,” Gump said. “To me it was like, ‘Well, we’ll wait and see what happens, but then nothing happened.”
Doug Morten and attorney James Huffman did not return calls by The Spotlight’s deadline, and Phil Barlow could not be reached in time to comment on this story.
[by Kelly Moyer]
This, I realize in hindsight, is why Sally was a good Chief Petitioner for the recall. Not only did she do an amazing job of carrying the recall as far as she did, she also always maintained her dignity and integrity, and still does. Unlike Sally, I'd have my attorney drawing up papers to sue them for my attorney fees if the CP shoes were on my feet. I'd be dragged right down there with the bozos.
If she takes on the recalls again in January, I'm with her.
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