On Monday, June 2, 2025, FOX8 reported that a former Rockingham County commissioner is seeking to reopen a defamation lawsuit linked to his political defeat, citing alleged conflicts of interest involving the presiding judge. T. Craig Travis, who lost a close primary election in 2024, claims that his loss was influenced by defamatory statements made by several political figures.
Travis’s initial lawsuit targeted former Commissioner Don Powell, current Commissioners Mark Richardson and Kevin Berger, along with Rockingham County Republican Party Chair Diane Parnell, the North Carolina Conservatives Fund, Atlas Political Consulting LLC, and GOPAC Inc. The case was previously overseen by Judge Robby Hicks, who recused himself due to a potential conflict stemming from his election campaign in 2022.
The case was subsequently assigned to Judge Hoyt G. Tessener. According to court documents, after a hearing, a third party informed Travis that Tessener may also have a conflict of interest due to his ties with state Senator Phil Berger, the father of defendant Kevin Berger, and Tim Moore, a former North Carolina Speaker of the House who is also named in the lawsuit. The motion filed by Travis’s legal team states that Tessener had previously contributed significant amounts to both Berger’s and Moore’s political campaigns.
Travis alleges that Tessener’s decision to dismiss the case on April 30, 2025, was made without disclosing these connections, leading his legal team to believe that they would have filed for Tessener’s recusal had they known. The dismissal order was entered on May 16, despite Travis’s counsel requesting a delay to explore the issue of disqualification.
At a recent hearing held on Friday, the court marked the case as “reopened,” although further details regarding this hearing have not yet been disclosed in the court’s online system. Travis’s team is now seeking to set aside the dismissal and request a new judge.
The original lawsuit centers on Travis’s claims that he was defamed by the defendants during the 2024 Republican primary, which he lost by a mere three votes. Travis argues that the campaign rhetoric used against him was not typical political discourse but rather malicious attacks intended to harm his reputation and electoral chances. He contends that the defendants sought to discredit him for opposing a proposed casino in Rockingham County, a project supported by the incumbent commissioners.
Travis asserts that misleading statements were made regarding his stance on taxes and public safety, including claims that he intended to raise taxes and that he opposed budget increases for the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office. He further alleges that his reputation was damaged by accusations of vandalism and stealing campaign signs for the other candidates.
The lawsuit details instances where Travis claims the defendants engaged in tactics that exceeded standard political campaigning, asserting that these actions were motivated by a desire to undermine his candidacy due to his opposition to the casino project.
Source: FOX8
