Milwaukee – Mandela Barnes, the former lieutenant governor of Wisconsin and declared candidate for the 2026 governor’s race, filed a defamation lawsuit against the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, claiming the newspaper published inaccurate information about his campaign withdrawal.
According to Fox 6, the lawsuit challenges a July 30 article that reported Barnes was dropping out of the high‑stakes Democratic primary amid allegations that he used his party role to pursue sexual encounters with young adult women. The Sentinel also said the Wisconsin Democratic Party had hired a law firm in 2025 to investigate similar claims.
Barnes’s complaint asserts that the story contained no factual basis: “No woman identified in the Journal Sentinel’s reporting accused Barnes of sexual assault, non‑consensual conduct, workplace harassment, coercion, abuse of governmental authority, or any sexual quid pro quo involving employment or political opportunity,” the filing states. He further argues there was no formal complaint, no factual investigation, and no external probe.
The suit also raises concerns about an unnamed source used in the article. Barnes alleges the campaign provided the paper with messages showing the relationship was consensual and continued for months. He claims the relationship began roughly in 2018 and lasted several years intermittently, involving a reporter whose name did not appear on the byline. Barnes contends the newspaper failed to disclose this conflict of interest.
The Sentinel’s executive editor, Greg Borowski, responded that the reporter in question was not involved in the reporting or writing of the published story. He emphasized that the article underwent the paper’s standard editing and legal review and that Barnes was given an opportunity to respond before publication.
In his filing, Barnes says his decision to leave the race was driven by internal polling, campaign finances, the emergence of another candidate, and the lack of a viable political path—not by the Sentinel’s reporting. The lawsuit seeks monetary damages, though the exact amount will be determined at trial.
Fox 6 notes that portions of the article were formatted using AI, with a journalist and editor reviewing it for accuracy and tone before publishing.
Sources: fox6now.com
