Seminole County settles lawsuit over Supervisor of Elections

Seminole County has approved spending $150,000 to settle a defamation lawsuit brought against the former Seminole County Supervisor of Elections. 

Chris Anderson lost his re-election bid as the Seminole County Supervisor of Elections in 2024. In July of 2024, Phil Kaprow, the former general counsel for the supervisor of elections sued Anderson and his wife for defamation, stemming from a social media video Anderson and his wife posted in 2023. 

“Mr. Anderson, in both his personal capacity and on behalf of the Office of the Supervisor ceaselessly maliciously, and disrespectfully attacked, ridiculed, harangued, defamed, and emasculated the Kaprows in a wholly inappropriate manner with the sole intent of bullying, attacking, intimidating, and tarnishing the Kaprows and each of them in their professions, businesses, religions, and persons,” the initial complaint reads. 

You can read the initial complaint here:

The county approved paying $150,000 to Kaprow to settle with Seminole County and the Seminole County Supervisor of Elections as defendants in the suit. Kaprow deferred comments to his attorney, Trenton Leigh with Solomon Law Group. 

Leigh said that the settlement removes Seminole County and the Supervisor of Elections’ office from the suit – but the lawsuit will continue against Anderson and his wife Ebony Anderson individually.

“We’re still in the middle of litigation,” said Trenton Leigh, an attorney representing Kaprow. “The only statement we would make is whatever is on the agenda for the county speaks for itself.”

Former Supervisor of Elections Chris Anderson declined to comment for the story. The agreement, which you can read here, includes no admission of liability. In the court filings, Anderson has denied the allegations, and filed a countersuit against Kaprow. 

“Kaprow filed Mike Towers lawsuit against SOE as part of a scheme to malign his former client (including the individual elected to serve in the constitutional position as supervisor of elections) in retaliation for having to terminate his beneficial contractual relationship with SOE, and to ensure that his colleague, Amy Pennock, would be in the best position to win the election primary on 20 August 2024,” the response and counter claim reads. You can read that here: 

The settlement was approved unanimously without comment. 

Hookah lounge denied full liquor license 

Additionally, the Seminole County Commission denied a request of the Tehran Hookah Lounge near Oviedo to expand from selling beer and wine to having a full liquor license. There were multiple neighbors who complained about the noise. 

County Commissioner Bob Dallari questioned the amount of people that could be seen inside the hookah lounge in a video shared with commissioners. At one point, Dallari floated the idea of giving them an extension to come back with more restrictions – but ultimately the board voted to deny the application. 

“I don’t think a full liquor license is appropriate,” Dallari said.

Slavia Road widening clears hurdle

The county also approved spending $587,400 to purchase wetlands mitigation credits to clear the way for a widening of Slavia Road. It will widen Slavia Road from Red Bug Lake Road to State Road 426.

The county commission is planning a budget workshop June 17 to continue budget discussions.