From wral.com:

A Republican candidate for 11th Senate District, which covers Wilson and Nash counties, filed a defamation lawsuit on Thursday against his incumbent rival over a campaign flier.

The lawsuit filed in Wilson County Superior Court claims that Sen. A.B. Swindell and the Democratic Party knowingly made misleading statements against Eldon “Buck” Newton in a campaign mailer.

The flier refers to an incident in 1990 in which Newton was charged with eight counts of drug-related crimes after he was mistakenly implicated in an undercover drug operation.

The charges were dismissed after the Watauga County district attorney discovered the error, saying the incident was a case of mistaken identity. A police officer involved in the operation was later relieved of his duties, according to 1999 documents provided when Newton sought his attorney’s license.

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