Pro Watercross and its managing member Anthony Handler have filed a lawsuit against former Escambia County Commissioner Doug Underhill for defamation over allegedly false and defamatory statements made by Underhill on social media.
- The plaintiffs are seeking $25,000 in damages, plus attorney’s fees and court costs, and an injunction from Underhill making further states against them.
Some of the statements alleged to have been posted by Underhill:
“[O]ld, lying and deceiving AJ is part of the generation who sucked the [sport] dry. Smart money is on the young guy this is in it for the right reason.”
“[W]hat AJ is doing in our community must be called out publicly. It’s a toxin in our sport.”
“AJ Handler…has burned bridges with racers, sponsors, and venues. Today he had 22 registrants…he is the single worst influence on this sport, petty and vindictive.”
Correction: according to the Mullet Wrapper, the Emerald Grand Prix racing event held at the Florabama was brought by Watercross World, not Pro Watercross.
https://mulletwrapper.net/emerald-coast-grand-prix-jet-ski-race-april-13-15-at-bama/
It never occurred to me to wonder who Watercross World is.
The promoter was a marketing agency named Reflections out of Colorado Springs whose owner, Dawn Dawson, is a longtime jet skier herself and very active in the racing world. She has been involved with Junior Stars of Florida in the past. I always feel sorry for people who get mixed up with Underhill and have no idea what they’ve gotten themselves into. Most everybody with any sense figures it out in the end, one way or the other.
I just realized–I *believe* that that’s the same company that Doug (can’t remember if Boy Jr. Jonathan went along) ran up to Canada for on the public dime while he was both a member of the TDC and the BCC voting on the money.
He should have had probable cause for public corruption on David Bear’s ethics complaint per that situation, but the Ethics Committee was under the impression that Pensacola Sports wasn’t up before the Board that year on money.
They of course were, but Steve Hayes/Visit spoke for both Pensacola Sports and ACE that year–and it was clearly on the agenda as such. If memory serves, Ray Palmer even made it clear in his interview that he was up in front of the Board. But somehow that didn’t make it to the AG’s notice, and that’s the only reason the most serious of Doug’s ethics complaints didn’t make probable cause as it should have. Because Doug was reimbursed for that jet ski trip on the taxpayer money that he had voted to approve on two different boards.
If this is indeed the same company, things have a funny way of coming back around. (That’s not on them–it was Doug’s illegality, not theirs.)
If Doug thinks a jet ski is a money pit, now he gets to try a defamation suit on for size.
Karma’s such a bitch, ain’t she? Best of luck bud!