After a two-year legal dispute, David Love, a representative of the Rockingham 13 district in the New Hampshire House of Representatives, has settled with Robert Champion and Michael McMahon. Love agreed to pay each of them USD $100,000 and admitted that his earlier statements were “completely false.”
The controversy began in February 2022 when Love introduced House Bill 1529, which proposed that library employees and volunteers be required to undergo criminal background checks. His comments raised concerns about drag queens participating in storytime events. At a 2019 event in Nashua, he wrongly labelled Champion as a “convicted sex offender,” and in a 2021 meeting in Derry, he accused McMahon of inappropriate behaviour with children.
Champion and McMahon subsequently filed defamation lawsuits.
As part of the settlement, Love was obliged to issue a public statement on social media.
“After being provided with inaccurate information, which I failed to verify, I publicly accused Robert Champion and Michael McMahon,” Love wrote. “I have since learned that those claims were entirely untrue. I wish to publicly retract those statements and apologise to Robert and Michael. I have also agreed to a monetary judgment against me for $100,000 to each.”
Following the resolution, Champion, who performs as Monique Toosoon, told The Washington Post: “When you say things that are that damaging or harmful about someone, they’re not going to just sit there and let it happen.”
Speaking to local media, McMahon, known as Clara Divine in drag, said: “I don’t want people to see false information about me online and believe it, which might stop me from getting booked for more story times or children’s activities. I’m passionate about educating the younger generation about drag. I hope this sends a message to others to avoid making such false claims.”
This isn’t the first instance where conservative figures have faced defamation suits. In April, right-wing commentator Laurence Fox was ordered to pay over USD $100,000 each to RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Crystal and former Stonewall trustee Simon Blake after he labelled them as paedophiles in a 2020 social media post.
Earlier, high court judge Mrs Justice Collins Rice described Fox’s words as “harmful, defamatory and baseless” after Fox’s attempt to counter-sue the pair for calling him racist failed.
“By referring to Mr Blake and Mr Seymour as paedophiles, Mr Fox subjected them to an entirely unjust public ordeal,” the judge stated. “It was a serious, unfounded, and indefensible slander, with distressing and damaging real-world consequences for them. They are rightfully entitled to compensation by law, ensuring they can move forward, vindicated and confident that their reputations remain intact.”
Fox is currently involved in another defamation case, this time with Drag Race France host Nicky Doll, after he called her and a group of drag artists “deviant little pedos” following their appearance at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony.
The ongoing cases led Crystal to jokingly comment that Fox is “a modern-day patron of the arts. He actually loves supporting drag.”
