A member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation of Oklahoman was found not guilty of defamation in a politically-charged case.

John Bruno told police that John "Rocky" Barrett, the tribe's longtime chairman, made a veiled threat to him in a phone conversation. Barrett then filed charges, claiming Bruno was trying to ruin his reputation.

At the time, Bruno was running against Barrett for the position of chairman. Barrett eventually was re-elected.

Previously, Barrett accused a group of tribal members of defamation for information they posted on a website. The case floundered when two different tribal attorneys refused to prosecute the case, prompting Barrett to fire them.

Get the Story:
Jury finds tribe member not guilty of defamation (The Oklahoman 8/6)
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Relevant Links:
Citizen Potawatomi Nation - http://www.potawatomi.org

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