Highland Park activist sues pastor and mayoral candidate Solomon Kinloch for defamation - Detroit Metro Times

Detroit Mayoral Candidate Solomon Kinloch Sued by Highland Park Activist for Defamation

A bitter dispute has erupted between Highland Park activist Robert Davis and Detroit mayoral candidate Solomon Kinloch Jr. after a heated debate in which Kinloch falsely accused Davis of being a paid operative for Mary Sheffield's campaign.

The lawsuit, filed in Oakland County Circuit Court on Friday, alleges that Kinloch made defamatory statements about Davis during the debate and subsequent interviews with reporters. According to the lawsuit, Kinloch claimed that Davis was working to undermine Sheffield's integrity by making false allegations against her.

Davis denies the allegations, stating that Kinloch fabricated them as an attempt to revive his faltering mayoral campaign. He claims that the statements were made "with actual malice," implying a deep-seated hatred for him due to their past disputes.

The lawsuit also accuses Kinloch of violating state and federal laws related to tax-exempt organizations, including Triumph Church, which has over 40,000 members and seven locations. Davis alleges that Kinloch's church purchased the former AMC Star Southfield theater site for $1 and then conveyed it to him through a private limited liability company controlled by Kinloch.

Kinloch's church and campaign have declined to comment on the allegations, fueling speculation about their involvement in the property deal.

The controversy has raised questions about Kinloch's finances, including his $1.3 million home in Oakland Township, which he purchased from Triumph Church for the same price it paid for the house nine months earlier.

The Detroit News and WDIV survey conducted after the debate shows Sheffield leading the mayoral race with 65% of likely voters supporting her, compared to 14% for Kinloch.

this whole thing just goes to show how easily accusations can spread like wildfire in politics... and before you know it, people are suing each other left and right ... what's even more sad is that Solomon Kinloch, who's trying to be a leader for the city of Detroit, got caught up in his own ego and let those emotions consume him ... instead of having real discussions about the issues, he chose to attack someone from behind the scenes... it's like, what would you do if you were in Robert Davis' shoes? wouldn't you want some clarity on why someone is out to get you? ... anyway, this whole ordeal just goes to remind us that truth and integrity are super important in politics... don't be afraid to speak up, but do it with kindness and respect ...

this whole thing is just so dramatic . like, who needs that kind of negativity in politics? kinloch's camp is denying all the allegations but still, it's a big mess . and honestly, i'm more worried about the people of detroit than this back-and-forth between kinloch and davis . let's focus on what really matters: getting our city back on track . anyway, sheffield is looking pretty strong in the polls right now , so fingers crossed for her . hopefully we can all just calm down and support whoever brings about positive change .

omg what is going on in detroit man!! Solomon Kinloch Jr. is getting roasted and now he's being sued by some activist for defamation? this whole thing with the church deal is sketchy too... how did Triumph Church end up buying an AMC theater for like $1? that's just crazy talk! and kinloch's finances are super shady, 1.3 million home and still trying to make a comeback? not buying it

I'm so done with these election scandals already... can't we just focus on the real issues at hand? And now this lawsuit is gonna add even more drama to the already messy mayoral race. Solomon Kinloch needs to get his facts straight and stop spreading rumors like wildfire . This whole thing smells like a dirty campaign tactic to me...

omg, this is getting ugly ... solomon kinloch Jr's campaign just took a dark turn and it's making me worried about the integrity of his election bid he made some seriously shady accusations against robert davis, an innocent person trying to expose some suspicious activity, and now davis is suing him for defamation i mean, what if kinloch just wants to deflect attention from his own campaign shortcomings? and let's not forget about the whole triumph church thing... it raises so many red flags

Omg I'm like totally surprised by this news ... so Kinloch is suing Davis for defamation and it's all because of something that was said during a debate? That doesn't sound right at all! How can you just go around accusing someone of being a paid operative without having any proof, right? It seems like Kinloch might be trying to deflect attention from his own campaign issues.

And what's up with the church connection tho? Like, how much money is going back and forth between Kinloch and Triumph Church? And if Davis really thinks Kinloch made those defamatory statements with "actual malice", that's a pretty serious allegation... but at the same time, Davis did say it was an attempt to revive Kinloch's campaign, which does sound kinda shady . Can we get some more info on this?

what's goin on here?? solomon kinloch thinks he can just mudsling robert davis around and then sue him too? that's some shady stuff right there! and now the drama is gettin all over the mayoral election... i mean, can't people just be real with each other? if kinloch didn't have nothin' to lose, he shouldn'ta gone after davis like that. it's just basic decency, ya know?

omg this is getting juicy , like really though why would solomon kinloch do that to robert davis? i mean, a heated debate can be intense but defamation lawsuits are never a good look . and now we're finding out about his "church" and its shady dealings... 40k members in triump church, that's a lot of influence . it's definitely raising some eyebrows about kinloch's campaign finance . i'm curious to see how this all plays out

I'm shocked by this whole thing. What's going on in Michigan politics right now? It seems like everyone's got an axe to grind, and some folks are just not playing nice. I mean, come on, a heated debate that turns into a defamation lawsuit? It's just too much . And what's with Kinloch's church and campaign being all secretive about it? Are they trying to hide something? And let me tell you, this whole thing has got my attention - 65% of the people in Detroit want Mary Sheffield as their mayor? That's a landslide win right there! But seriously, folks, can't we just have a respectful debate without resorting to cheap shots and lawsuits? It's time for some real leadership in Detroit, not this backroom politicking.

awww man this is so not cool solomon kinloch sould be more careful what he says especially in public it sounds like robert davis has proof of these defamatory statements and if that's true then kinloch should step down from the mayoral race ASAP and this whole thing just makes me worried about the integrity of the election what a shame for detroit

[Image of Grumpy Cat holding a "Defamation" sign]

lol what's up with this guy solomon kinloch?? he thinks he can just go around accusing ppl of being paid operatives and get away with it? newsflash, dude, that's some weak sauce . I'm not surprised the activist is suing him tho, someone needs to shut his mouth down. and btw, why did he think it was a good idea to make allegations about another candidate's integrity during a debate? classless move, solomon .

and what's with the whole triumph church thing? is this some kinda scam or something? I don't know much about kinloch's finances, but $1.3 million house in oakland township? that's just crazy rich . and he bought it from his own church for a steal! talk about shady business practices .

anyway, i'm not surprised sheffield is leading the polls right now, solomon's campaign is pretty much done for . guess you could say the tables have turned... kinloch got served

idk how much more of this drama i can take solomon kinloch is really scraping the bottom of the barrel on this one. accusing someone of being a paid operative and then hiding behind a lawsuit? classic move by a candidate who's way behind in the polls 65% for mary sheffield, bruh... meanwhile, kinloch is over here trying to buy his way into office with some sketchy church connections anyway, hope robert davis sues him good and takes him down a peg

.. this whole thing is getting messy . I don't know what's more surprising - that someone was willing to take on a suit like this or that it even happened in the first place . Davis seems like he's got some solid grounds for the lawsuit, but at the same time, Kinloch's camp is playing dumb and not commenting on any of the allegations . Either way, it's gonna be interesting to see how this plays out - especially with the election just around the corner . Can't help but wonder if some people will try to use this as a distraction from their own campaign issues .

omg u gotta see dis!! so detroit mayoral candidate sol kinloch jr just got sued by some activist dude for defamation... like what even is goin on here? i dont think he made those accusations outta thin air, but idk the deets. anyway, its not lookin good for sol maybe he should focus more on his campaign instead of tryna tear others down? btw, have u seen that survey? mary sheffield is killin it in the polls 65% of ppl support her lol what a joke!

Ugh, this is getting out of hand! I'm all about free speech, but when it comes to spreading misinformation, that's just not okay. Solomon Kinloch Jr. made some seriously shady accusations against Robert Davis, and now Davis is fighting back with a lawsuit. I mean, who tries to make someone look like a paid operative for another person's campaign?

It's also super suspicious how Kinloch's church somehow ended up owning the old AMC theater site, then just sold it to Davis through some shady LLC deal. You can't help but wonder if there's more to this story than meets the eye... The fact that Kinloch's campaign hasn't commented on this either is just adding fuel to the fire.

The more I hear about this, the more I think we need to take a closer look at how our politicians are doing their fundraising and what they're not telling us. It's time for some real transparency in Detroit!

This lawsuit is like, totally crazy! Solomon Kinloch accusing Robert Davis of being a fake operative? That's low, fam And now Robert's all up in arms about Solomon making defamatory statements... it's just one big mess But what really gets me is that Solomon's campaign is in shambles and he's trying to take down Robert over this? Meanwhile, Mary Sheffield is doing better than ever I mean, come on, guys! Can't we all just get along and focus on making Detroit a better place for everyone?

Ugh man this is getting crazy. Like Solomon Kinloch Jr think he can just smear some random activist on live tv and get away with it? Davis seems like a decent dude too, I don't know what's going on with this church thing though. Triumph Church buying the theater site for 1 buck and then flipping it to Davis? That's some shady stuff right there. And Kinloch's campaign is basically ignoring it all... pretty dodgy if you ask me. Sheffield seems like she's got this one in the bag tho, 65% of voters supporting her?

OMG, like seriously what is going on with this guy Solomon Kinloch Jr? I mean, I knew he was a bit shady but I didn't think he'd stoop so low as to accuse some poor Highland Park activist of being a paid operative for Mary Sheffield's campaign. And now he's getting sued for defamation? Like, what are the odds?! And can we talk about his finances for a second? $1.3 million home and it was bought from Triumph Church for like $1?! It sounds fishy to me... like maybe he's hiding something? The fact that his church is involved in this whole thing is just, like, wow... I need more info on that one. And the worst part is, Mary Sheffield is already leading in the polls with 65% support and Kinloch only has 14%! Like, how does someone go from having a pretty good shot at winning to being accused of defamation?