Los Angeles (CA) – Probably 2021 was not a year for the books for Hadari Oshri. And things aren't looking up in 2022 either.
Last year, the American-Israeli entrepreneur lost her meritless restraining order case against me. My anti-SLAPP court win was a powerful reminder of why First Amendment Rights are celebrated, honored and protected by Americans. And as an American citizen, Oshri should have known better. But she didn't.
That I prevailed on my anti-SLAPP motion forced Oshri to learn the hard way. She will have to pay my hefty legal fees ($23,000). Additionally, in the past months, I've released the investigative series that she desperately tried to silence. And her sloppy PR efforts to deliver an online campaign aimed at clearing her name...miserably failed.
But today, I don't want to focus so much on Oshri. Rather, I want to do some introspection.
To get this far, I had to spend the summer of 2021 fully immersed in time-consuming legal efforts to fight her frivolous restraining order. Because let's be clear about one thing: Oshri, like every other SLAPPer, never intended to win in court. She intended to bully me into silence in the same way she used fear tactics in the past to silence her victims' plights and grievances.
In early 2021, Oshri retained the legal services of LA-based attorney John Tamborelli in order to stop my investigative efforts. Around February 14th that year (a very symbolic date for Oshri and her high-caliber restraining order team of criminal defense attorneys), Tamborelli sent me a "cease and desist" letter, or as Oshri called it in her legal petition against me a "seance" and "disease."
Realizing that the "seance" and "disease" strategy had failed, Tamborelli tried yet another trick: He had one of my sources "instruct" me to remove any and all media coverage that I'd posted online mentioning him, Oshri and Marc Lubaszka.
Hadari Oshri's former attorney, John Tamborelli, tried to silence reporter Aitana Vargas's media coverage and online complaints about the legal pressure she was enduring.
Of course, I refused to comply. But more importantly, the National Writers Union (NWU) sent Tamborelli a letter demanding that he stop all intimidation attempts towards me. And...he stopped.
If anything, I have come out of this experience understanding the many ways in which I must express my gratitude towards Hadari Oshri. She turned me into quite an expert on anti-SLAPP motions and meritless First Amendment Right cases. For three months last year, I was the anti-SLAPP motion version of the cookie monster. Like a maniac, I devoured legal cases, rulings and opinions by the CA lower courts, the Court of Appeals and the CA Supreme Court. Every case I found –even in other states or the US Supreme Court–, I read and carefully studied.
Hadari Oshri failed in her legal attempt to silence reporter Aitana Vargas. As the prevailing party on an anti-SLAPP motion, Vargas is entitled to an award of attorney's fees.
I am, however, humble enough to admit that I had –and I still do– a lot to learn in this regard. But for all the lessons already learned, I'd like to thank you, Hadari. You've made me a more informed, a better and a more accomplished journalist.
I never would have made it this far without your invaluable contributions. As a matter of fact, two weekends ago, I was presented with an LA Press Club award for my investigative series exposing your participation in an alleged multi-million dollar PPE scheme with Marc Lubaszka.
Speaking of milestones...This is my first journalism award for an English-language series produced entirely on my own!
I never thought I would be talented enough or even remotely capable of this kind of achievement. But you proved me wrong: Not only can I write in English, but I can also win awards in a foreign language!
Thank you, Hadari, for making this award possible. It's unique, one of a kind, and the refreshing icing on the cake that I and many victims will never forget.
Cheers!
By Aitana Vargas
Read here the full list of winners.
*Since Hadari Oshri filed a meritless case against Investor News contributor Aitana Vargas and had previously declined to provide written comments or go on a recorded interview, it is our policy not to seek further comments from the entrepreneur. Oshri is always welcome to reach out and agree to the proposed interview terms. The same policy applies to her former Counsel, John Tamborelli.
**To contact the newsroom, send an email to info@investornews.io. To contact and send tips to investigative reporter Aitana Vargas, use aitana_investigations@protonmail.com. All malicious emails, phone calls and text messages are reported to law enforcement.
First Published on Investor News on: Jul 7, 2022 at 21:53
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