Roseville councilman, House of Oliver owner settle defamation case rooted in 2022 campaign
Two Placer County political figures have settled legal fight that stemmed from comments made in the run-up to the November 2022 election.
Roseville City Councilman Scott Alvord has settled his defamation lawsuit against House of Oliver owner Matthew Oliver, according to court documents filed June 25.
Alvord alleged at the time that Oliver, along with RightOnDailyBlog.com manager Aaron Park, defamed him while in the midst of his run for Placer County supervisor. The race was won by Alvord’s opponent, Shanti Landon.
According to the complaint, Alvord alleged his reputation was damaged when Oliver and Park said he was in support of “overruling parental freedom” when it came to COVID-19 vaccines for children. Alvord also alleged that Oliver and Park repeatedly said he was “bad for Placer County business.”
Alvord and his attorney argued that claims by Oliver and Park — made through social media and blog posts — harmed his reputation as a business owner and public figure and “may inhibit his livelihood,” according to the suit.
Park settled with Alvord in February.
The conditions of both settlements were not disclosed, but Alvord said in a statement “I have settled the lawsuit with Aaron Park and he has removed all posts and comments about me and my family.”
“Scott Alvord and I have settled our lawsuit,” Park said in a phone call. “The terms and the facts of the case are still subject to dispute.”
The councilman’s lawsuit also took issue with Oliver’s social media posts — Alvord alleged that Oliver made false claims about his business practices and policy positions, namely that he advocated for compulsory COVID-19 vaccines and masking regardless of parental consent. Alvord denied the allegations in his complaint, saying it was beyond his jurisdiction and he never held those beliefs.
Oliver, a restaurant owner who lost in his bid during the same election for a seat on the Rocklin City Council, rose to prominence during the pandemic for being a vocal opponent to Gov. Gavin Newsom and lockdown policies, using his Roseville restaurant to challenge state regulations.
Oliver, in turn, sparred with Alvord over social media posts, taking aim at the city councilman.
Alvord told The Bee last year that said he’d grown tired of knocking on doors and hearing constituents repeat Oliver’s and Park’s accusations back to him.
In his lawsuit, Alvord sought more than $25,000 in damages and a public retraction of the statements made against him.
A review of Alvord’s website shows the content arguing against Oliver’s and Park’s claims has been removed. Likewise, posts on Oliver’s social media identified in the complaint have also been removed.
“The terms are confidential and its been settled,” Oliver said in an interview. “I am still a vocal voice in Placer, holding our elected accountable and that has not changed.”
Alvord as a public official, faced a high bar to win a defamation lawsuit under longstanding precedent. To win, he would have had to show that Oliver and Park posted a false statement against him with “actual malice,” meaning a reckless disregard for facts.
This story was originally published July 20, 2023 at 5:00 AM.