When faced with an unthreatening letter from an attorney claiming you defamed a Congressman at the heart of last Wednesday's mob violence at the U.S. Capitol, a pithy retort referencing the downfall of the Third Reich may be in order.
Counsel for Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs (R-CD "the fighting Fifth") sent Democrat Joan Greene a letter referencing several of her tweets and posts after the Electoral College votes were done being counted by Congress.
When Greene noted the intimidation attempt on Twitter Monday, Chandler attorney Tom Ryan jumped at the opportunity to respond to a colleague he knows well (Kory Langhofer). He did not mince words.
"I could set forth a point-by-point refutation of your letter, but I see it as not helpful. Instead, I provide you with one of my favorite stories of WWII. On December 22, 1944, U.S. Brig. Gen. Anthony C. McCauliffe and the troops of the 101st Airborne Div. were near Bastogne, France*. A German Panzer division believed it had surrounded the Americans. The Germans sent a letter to Gen. McCauliffe demanding the Americans surrender. Gen. McCauliffe sent back a simple response:
To the German Commander,N U T S !The American Commander
I cannot improve upon Gen. McCauliffe's response and provide the same to you."
No, there will not be a defamation suit.
Tom Ryan Ltr to Kory Langhofer by arizonaspolitics on Scribd
*Ryan tells Arizona's Politics he has one regret about the letter. "Bastogne is in Belgium, not France."
Disclosure: I have provided legal representation to Greene.
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