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O’Connor also offers free legal services to Taotao Tano’s Cruz
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Posted on Jan 22 2009
Attorney Robert O’Connor said he is willing to offer his legal services for free to Taotao Tano’s controversial president, Gregorio Cruz Jr., if human rights advocate Wendy L. Doromal goes ahead with a defamation lawsuit against Cruz.
O’Connor told Saipan Tribune that Doromal made derogatory comments about the Commonwealth and the people of the CNMI and that he believes that Cruz has a First Amendment right to defend the truth as he sees it.
“I’m offended that any human rights advocate would try to intimidate those who disagree with her from expressing their opinions and views,” the lawyer said.
Doromal, through a lawyer, has threatened to sue Taotao Tano and Cruz if they do not stop issuing allegedly defamatory and slanderous statements against her.
Lwyer John W. Zielinski, in a letter to Cruz, stated that his client, Doromal, has provided their office with multiple e-mail communications, letters, and other materials that Cruz had published about Doromal, to her detriment.
Zielinski said the statements are inaccurate, defamatory and slanderous and may potentially interfere with her employment contract.
The issue came up after Cruz wrote Florida Department of Education Commissioner Dr. Eric J. Smith on Jan. 10, 2009, complaining about Doromal’s activities in the CNMI.
In response to Zielinski’s threat of a defamation lawsuit, Cruz said Doromal and Zielinski have threatened the wrong person because he is not afraid of lawyers and lawsuits.
O’Connor said if Doromal sues Cruz for defamation, he will defend the Taotano president for free.
“I don’t want her [Doromal] to think that she can intimidate people into closing their mouths,” O’Connor said.
The O’Connor’s law firm had also approached former House Speaker Oscar Rasa and his group, CNMI Descents for Self-Government and Indigenous Rights, offering its free legal services in filing a motion to support the lawsuit filed by Gov. Benigno R. Fitial against the federal government over the federalization law.
