Attorney Jennifer Gilliland Vanasdale’s defamation suit against four people, including Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger, was dismissed on Tuesday, Oct. 28.

The 17-count lawsuit, which was originally filed in 2023 and amended in 2024, included three counts of defamation and one count of false light before the public against all four defendants: Goldinger; Slippery Rock Mayor Jondavid Longo; Justin Castilyn, of Saxonburg; and Cheryl Guenther, of Prospect.

Gilliland Vanasdale ran as an independent candidate against Goldinger in the general election in November 2023. Goldinger was reelected in the race.

The suit alleged widespread communication of false statements contained in a letter sent out as part of Goldinger’s campaign alleging Gilliland Vanasdale is “unable to practice in front of any of the sitting judges in Butler County,” in a sealed 2011 lawsuit and a 2019 lawsuit.

Gilliland Vanasdale was seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages from each defendant and a jury trial.

According to the court opinion in the dismissal, Gilliland Vanasdale’s second amended complaint, which was filed in May 2024, had each of the four defendants submit preliminary objections. Gilliland Vanasdale filed her own preliminary objections to each of the defendants’ shortly after.

During oral arguments, the defendants’ attorneys argued that Gilliland Vanasdale is a public figure because she ran for public office more than once and the defendants have immunity because the allegations against them took place during a political campaign and should be considered speech on a matter of public interest.

They also argued that the complaint uses boiler plate language about defamation without supporting facts.

Gilliland Vanasdale’s attorney, Nicholas DiNardo, argued she is not a public figure, so she does not have to prove the defendants acted with malice in defaming her.

However, according to the opinion, the court found Gilliland Vanasdale to be a “limited-purpose public figure,” which is defined as an individual who voluntarily put themselves before the public, by campaigning for the office of district attorney.

The court found that Gilliland Vanasdale used boiler plate language and failed to present legally sufficient facts to support actual malice, the opinion said. As such, each defendants’ preliminary objections were upheld.

According to the opinion, she also included language that argued the defendants acted out of negligence. Due to her nature as a public figure, this was also dismissed.

A final count of “persons acting in concert” was also dismissed as its cause of action relied on the other 16 counts.