A portion of the lawsuit against New Castle County Executive Tom Gordon (D) filed by his former deputy will continue through the courts.
Superior Court Judge Scott Bradley dismissed the majority of the lawsuit from David Grimaldi this week, but will allow a jury to decide whether or not Gordon defamed his former deputy after firing him.
The allegations stem from Grimaldi’s dismissal last October.
To the media, Gordon says he fired Grimaldi because he tried to use his position to get out of a traffic ticket.
Instead, Grimaldi claims he was fired for speaking up about nepotism and corrupt hiring practices under Gordon, saying his boss’s statements ruined his reputation.
Grimaldi hasn’t denied telling the patrol officer who pulled him over “You know, your mayor works for me,” but Judge Bradley says a jury must decide his motivations for doing so.
Tensions between the two men have been publicly heated, with Grimaldi waging a war against Gordon’s reelection bid over social media.
It’s unclear when the case will go to trial.
