Former Evansville mayoral candidate ordered to pay $400K in defamation case

A former Evansville mayoral candidate has been ordered to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages after he reportedly wrote blogs and social media posts falsely accusing an Indianapolis attorney and journalist of raping children and stealing taxpayer money.

In a decision released Thursday, a Marion County Superior Court judge ruled: Gabriel Whitley Abdul Hakim-Shabazz will be awarded $400,000, according to court records. This does not include court costs or interest.

Shabazz’s complaint, filed in May, listed several posts from blogs and X (formerly Twitter) written by Whitley that accused Shabazz of pedophilia and theft. The lawyer and political commentator has never been accused or charged with any of these crimes and vehemently denies the allegations.

Last month, Whitley filed a federal lawsuit against the Indiana Judicial Branch Disciplinary Commission. He wants federal court officials to “conduct a comprehensive and impartial review” of Shabazz for allegedly “abusing his law license,” according to the complaint.

Shabazz also denies this accusation. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for January.

Whitley briefly announced his candidacy in the last Evansville mayoral race, but withdrew from the race in January 2023 before any elections were held. He also launched a study for the Vanderburgh County Commission in 2021, which was canceled.

After moving to the Indianapolis area last year, she ran in the 7th District Congressional race in the 2024 Republican primary, losing to Jennifer Pace, who died in March. Incumbent Democrat Andre Carson won the general election despite being replaced by John Schmitz.

Other cases involving Whitley

Whitley also faces a charge of intimidation, a Level 6 felony Following allegations that he made violent threats against Shabazz earlier this year. Whitley is contesting the charges.

The affidavit in this case includes screenshots of posts containing images of Shabazz’s home, as well as calls for law enforcement to “raid” the home. At least one post included the lawyer’s address, while others featured sensational photos of Thomas Crooks, who allegedly opened fire on President-elect Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania in the summer.

In the screenshot of the text read: “The whole city would be happy to see you like this.” The statement was included. An account with Whitley’s name underneath reads: “This is a joke,” it says.

The email address linked to the accounts was the same address used in Whitley’s campaign filings, police said. Indy Star reported. The hearing of this case will be held next week.

The FBI searched Whitley’s home in Indianapolis in July but did not publicly disclose why. Later that month, Courier & Press He obtained emails in which federal prosecutor Zachary Myers said he forwarded a citizen-compiled report to the FBI that included multiple allegations of Whitley’s campaign finance violations.

In February 2023, Courier & Press reporter Tom Langhorne spoke with several donors listed on Whitley’s 2021 campaign finance forms. Although the report claimed he was given hundreds or even thousands of dollars, most people said they had never heard of Whitley.

Whitley denied any wrongdoing and ultimately filed a federal defamation lawsuit a month later against Langhorne, Courier & Press and USA Today for more than $15 million in damages. A judge dismissed the case in November.

This article first appeared in the Evansville Courier & Press: Former Evansville mayoral candidate ordered to pay $400K in defamation case