A Marion County Judge has awarded Indy Politics publisher Abdul-Hakim Shabazz $400,000 in damages in a defamation suit against former 7th District Congressional candidate Gabriel Whitley.
Shabazz, an attorney who represented himself, filed suit against Whitley in May of last year, when Whitley called him a child rapist and said he stole money when Shabazz was president of the Marion County Fair Board.
Judge John Hanley awarded Shabazz $100,000 in actual damages and another $300,000 in punitive damages.
“This is a great day,” Shabazz said. “While I am a firm believer in free speech, the First Amendment does not give anyone the right to falsely accuse someone of being a child rapist or stealing from a not-for-profit organization. Hopefully, this will send a message to people like Whitley.”
Whitley has also been charged with felony intimidation for posting photos of Shabazz’s home online and encouraging violence against him. He is also under federal investigation for reportedly filing fraudulent campaign finance reports.
“We didn’t do too badly for a guy who one official recently called a village idiot,” Shabazz noted.
