Rep. Don Shooter speaks to the Arizona House during a House vote on whether to remove him from office following the release of a report detailing allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior at the Capitol. Carly Henry/azcentral.com
Former House Rep. Don Shooter, who was expelled from the House in February after allegations of sexually inappropriate behavior, has countersued one of his accusers.
Shooter late Thursday filed both a response and a counterclaim against Rep. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, R-Scottsdale. He asserts his lawsuit is the first step toward repairing his reputation.
Ugenti-Rita sued Shooter in June, claiming that various written and stated remarks he made damaged her reputation.
Shooter, in his counterclaim, says comments Ugenti-Rita made about him on social media and in interviews were false and defamatory.
Ugenti-Rita’s attorney, Daniel Massey, said in an e-mail Friday that his client’s claims were backed up by similar stories by other women.