Haley Olson

Grant County Sheriff Glenn Palmer has filed a countersuit for defamation against the person who claimed he improperly obtained and disseminated private materials from her phone.

Palmer claims Haley Olson published false and defamatory statements on four occasions between April 24 and Sept. 3 that invaded his privacy, caused him anxiety, damaged his public image and subjected him to ridicule and loss of reputation, according to a complaint filed in Grant County Circuit Court Oct. 8 by Palmer’s attorney Daniel E. Thenell.

Olson, whose lawsuit against Palmer, District Attorney Jim Carpenter and Grant County is proceeding in federal court, said she planned to file a motion to dismiss Palmer’s countersuit.

Olson accused Palmer, Carpenter and the county of obtaining the contents of her cellphone from a law enforcement agency in Idaho, including nude photos from when she was a minor, and improperly disseminating them.

The defendants denied any wrongdoing and have filed motions to dismiss Olson’s suit.

Palmer seeks $100,000 in damages for the “outrageous and sustained campaign of false allegations … made with actual malice and timed to have maximum effect on the November 2020 election in which (Palmer) is a candidate,” according to his lawsuit.

Palmer accuses Olson of stating on Facebook that Palmer breached into her personal life and should be held accountable and that Palmer viewed every photo and video from her cellphone, including naked photos of her as a minor, and for publishing to a third-party that Palmer viewed sexually explicit images from the phone, according to the lawsuit.

Palmer lists four counts of defamation that subjected him to “hatred, contempt and ridicule,” diminished the “esteem, respect, goodwill or confidence” in which Palmer was held “or otherwise excited adverse, derogatory and unpleasant feelings or opinions,” according to the lawsuit.

Palmer also lists four counts of invading his privacy, which placed him in a false light.

“Defendant’s statement was a statement of fact, and not a mere allegation, which accused (Palmer) of illegally accessing and viewing nude images of (Olson) including nude images of her as a minor,” the lawsuit states. “Defendant had knowledge of, or acted in reckless disregard, as to the falsity of the publicized matter and the false light in which (Palmer) was placed. As a direct and proximate result of (Olson’s) invasion of (Palmer’s) privacy and placing him in a false light to the public, (Palmer) has suffered mental and emotional distress, all to his noneconomic damages in an amount to be determined at trial but not to exceed $100,000.”

“Defendant’s statement was a statement of fact, and not a mere allegation, which accused (Palmer) of illegally accessing and viewing nude images of (Olson) including nude images of her as a minor. Defendant had knowledge of, or acted in reckless disregard, as to the falsity of the publicized matter and the false light in which (Palmer) was placed. As a direct and proximate result of (Olson’s) invasion of (Palmer’s) privacy and placing him in a false light to the public, (Palmer) has suffered mental and emotional distress, all to his noneconomic damages in an amount to be determined at trial but not to exceed $100,000.”

—Complaint filed Oct. 8 in Grant County Circuit Court on behalf of Grant County Sheriff Glenn Palmer