Delray Beach election: One candidate for mayor sues another for libel over mailers

DELRAY BEACH — Days before the city's election, mayoral candidate Tom Carney has taken one of his opponents to court, suing Ryan Boylston for slander and libel and demanding damages for allegations made in a mailer distributed to Delray Beach voters.

The lawsuit is an unusual move in local politics, where free-speech laws give candidates broad latitude to criticize their opponents and question their fitness for office. It is the latest turn in an accusation-filled campaign between the men, who are vying with former City Commission member Shirley Johnson in the Tuesday, March 19 election.

The winner, whether decided March 19 or in a runoff election, will replace Shelly Petrolia, who is leaving Delray Beach's top office after six years because of term limits.

Delray Beach elections: City will have a new mayor for the first time in six years

The mailer spoke of car crashes in which Carney, an attorney and a former Delray Beach mayor, was involved in 2007 in Delray Beach and 2016 in Boynton Beach.

It followed a mailer to voters that alleged ethical violations by Boylston, a City Commissioner since 2018 and the founder and chief executive of a marketing agency.

The lawsuit, filed March 7 in Palm Beach County Circuit Court, will not be resolved prior to the city election. Circuit Judge Gregory Keyser had not scheduled any hearings in the matter as of Friday, March 15.

In his complaint, Carney argues that the statements in the mailer constitute defamation by implication, “as they imply facts that are not true, ignore the facts actually set forth in the subject police report, and ignore other facts (including facts attested to under oath) that contradict the false implication.”

Delray Beach: Ethics Commission says businessman lied to get post on Downtown Development Authority

The lawsuit contends that Carney asked Boylston to cease and desist from further publication of the mailer and defamatory statements, to remove the mailer and statements from any location where they were posted and to issue an apology, the suit said. But Boylston did not do so.

For his part, Boylston called the lawsuit "a political tactic to distract voters." In a prepared statement, he said he has retained an attorney "to represent me against this strategic lawsuit designed to limit free speech" and that he expects he will win.

Palm Beach County polls will be open March 19 from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Two other races are up for grabs for Delray Beach voters — Seat 1 on the commission, which will replace current City Commissioner Adam Frankel, and Seat 3, which will replace Boylston, whose term as vice mayor will expire.

For more information, call the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections at (561) 656-6200 or visit www.votepalmbeach.gov.

Jasmine Fernández is a journalist covering Delray Beach and Boca Raton for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at jfernandez@pbpost.com and follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @jasminefernandz. Help support our work. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: One Delray Beach mayor candidate sues another for libel over mailers