RALEIGH — The libel lawsuit against Congressman Pat Harrigan (R-Hickory) has been voluntarily dismissed by a former Wake Forest University trainer.
The voluntary dismissal motion was filed on Feb. 2 by Bridget Sullivan’s attorney, Walter C. Holton Jr., with a copy sent to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Greensboro.
Sullivan sued Harrigan for libel last October over an X post made by Harrigan claiming Sullivan had been fired over her Instagram post on the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk that said, “He had it coming.”
Sullivan’s suit was seeking $50,000 in libel claims for “reputational harm” and an additional $25,000 in punitive damages.
The following month, U.S. Attorney for North Carolina’s Middle District Clifton Barrett filed various motions that successfully moved the case to federal court.
In addition to a motion to transfer the case from a state superior court to federal court, Barrett also filed a motion to substitute the United States as the defendant in place of Harrigan, as well as a motion to dismiss the lawsuit.
In his filings, Barrett argued Harrigan’s alleged libelous statements about Sullivan were made within the scope of Harrigan’s official duties as a member of Congress and were covered under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) protections.
