Treasurer’s ex-aide loses suit-trial bid

On April 14, Chief U.S. District Judge Brian Miller denied David Singer’s request for a new trial against state Treasurer Dennis Milligan and his recently retired chief of staff, Jim Harris. Miller also awarded Milligan and Harris $1,006.84 in costs, to be paid by Singer, a former treasurer’s office employee.

Singer alleged that Harris defamed him by publicly distributing an internal email questioning Singer’s mental stability, and said Milligan then discriminated against him by firing him because the treasurer falsely believed that Singer had “mental problems,” based on the email.

A federal jury cleared Milligan and Harris of both claims on Feb. 4, after hearing four days of testimony. Milligan told jurors he didn’t believe Singer was mentally ill but did believe he couldn’t adequately perform his jobs at the treasurer’s office. Harris admitted writing the email but said he only distributed it to a KATV-TV reporter after he was told it had already been given to her as a result of a Freedom of Information Act request.

Attorneys for Milligan and Harris later asked Miller to make Singer pay them $4,858.09 for costs they expended to defend themselves, aside from attorneys’ fees. Miller denied the request for the biggest share of the costs — transcript fees — noting that Singer may need the transcripts in his pending claim against Milligan in Pulaski County Circuit Court, and that if he loses there, he shouldn’t be subject to paying double costs. Miller agreed, though, that Singer should pay the prevailing parties’ other costs of clerk fees, subpoena fees and witness fees.