A visiting judge heard arguments Monday, Feb. 26, about preliminary objections to a defamation lawsuit filed by attorney Jennifer Gilliland Vanasdale against District Attorney Rich Goldinger, Slippery Rock Mayor Jondavid Longo and two others over claims made during last year’s election, in which Goldinger defeated Vanasdale.

Senior Judge Christopher St. John of Mercer County said he was assigned to the case by the Administrative Office Of Pennsylvania Court because all Butler County Common Pleas Court judges recused themselves.

St. John didn’t rule on any of the numerous objections during the hearing, but said he would order Vanasdale to file an amended complaint that spells out each claim she is making against each defendant and the amount of the damages she is seeking for each count.

The complaint she filed Nov. 17, shortly after the Nov. 7 election, contains two counts of defamation and single counts of false light and aiding and abetting against all of the defendants. Justin Castilyn, of Saxonburg, and Cheryl Guenther, of Prospect, also are defendants.

Vanasdale argues in the suit that each of the defendants played a role in disseminating false and defamatory information about her in an orchestrated effort to help Goldinger win reelection.

Goldinger, a Republican, won his fifth term in office in the election in which Vanasdale ran as an Independent. Goldinger, who did not attend Monday’s hearing, is represented by attorney Michael E. Lang, of Beaver. Vanasdale is representing herself.

Lang argued the aiding and abetting count against Goldinger should be removed from the complaint because it contains “scandalous and impertinent matters” that have nothing to do with defamation.

Instead, the aiding and abetting claim is an attempt by Vanasdale to overturn the results of the election, he said.

“She is accusing him of rigging the election,” Lang said.

Vanasdale said the defendants mischaracterized her role in two lawsuits in which she was named as a defendant to harm her reputation and interfere with the election.

One of the suits, filed in 2019 in Allegheny County, alleges Vanasdale sexually assaulted a Homestead man. The second suit, filed in 2011 in Butler County, is related to an estate she represented.

Vanasdale said she was never served with the 2019 suit, but the defendants posted the entire suit on a social media site.

Court records indicate the suit was terminated in September 2022 due to inactivity for two years.

She said the 2011 estate suit was withdrawn and discontinued without her paying any money. In her suit, she claims Castilyn posted a comment on social media saying sources told him she paid $40,000 and legal fees to settle the suit. The suit was sealed under a court order, she said.

“They alleged it was sealed because I did something wrong,” Vanasdale said.

The case was unsealed Dec. 7 following a motion filed by the Butler Eagle.

In addition, her suit claims Goldinger issued a false statement during his campaign saying Vanasdale can’t practice law in front of any of the sitting county judges, and visiting judges would have to hear every criminal case at an enormous cost to taxpayers if she was elected.

That claim goes on to say Goldinger falsely said every judge has recused themselves from any case involving Vanasdale and her law firm.

Attorney Rebecca Black, who is representing Longo, filed eight preliminary objections to Vanasdale’s suit asking the judge to dismiss the complaint because it doesn’t conform to law or court rules.

Black said Longo posted a link to a campaign letter Goldinger wrote in October 2023 that contains the allegations that Vanasdale can’t practice before sitting county judges and the judges recused themselves from cases involving her firm, but the complaint does not say Longo published or shared information about the lawsuits or alleged misconduct.

Vanasdale’s argument for defamation is insufficient because she is a public figure and she has no proof Longo acted with malice, Black said.

Vanasdale said the contention that she can’t practice before county judges and the judges have recused themselves from her cases implied she committed business misconduct.

Guenther’s attorney, Jennifer Pullar, said the claims against her client are limited to her finding the 2019 suit in open records in Allegheny County and sending a copy to a member of U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly’s staff who told someone who Vanasdale knows.

Pullar said Vanasdale’s complaint does not allege malice against Guenther for her actions.

Vanasdale said sharing the suit was malicious. She asked St. John to seal the 2019 suit.

St. John agreed with Lang in saying an order sealing the case in Butler County would not be enforceable in Allegheny County, where the case could be accessed.

Attorney Nicole Turner, who is representing Castilyn, joined several of the objections made by the other attorneys.