Corina Lopez is mad at me, Zennie62Media, Inc. CEO and Oakland Vlogger Zennie Abraham, and landed a lawyer to try and remove my expressed opinion of her actions against other San Leandro public officials. Via a Newport Beach, California lawyer (no San Leandro lawyers?) named Elisa Guadan, the former San Leandro Councilmember is threatening what’s called a “Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation” or “SLAPP” lawsuit against me, but not against Zennie62Media, Inc., got that? Trouble is, both former Councilmember Lopez and her lawyer have made critical mistakes that damage the credibility of their SLAPP threat. Aside from the fact that “SLAPP” lawsuits are illegal in California, and have been since 1992.
For starters, her lawyer referred to me as if I was just some yahoo out there, rather than working in my media-content-making capacity as CEO of Delaware C-Corporation Zennie62Media, Inc. Indeed, her mention of Zennie62Media was parenthetical. The attorney, Elisa Guadan, was clearly not at all familiar with what she was doing in service to her friend / client former Councilmember Lopez.
Lopez Gets Obscure, Inexperienced, Newport Beach Criminal Defense Lawyer To Threaten Zennie Abraham
I gathered the attorney Elisa Guadan was a friend of Ms. Lopez’s, first, because she’s based in Newport Beach, not San Leandro, where Lopez still holds out her persona as an active public figure. To repeat, Former San Leandro Councilmember Lopez’ Facebook page presents her as if she’s still in office as of this writing and not someone who held the seat until January of 2024. And second, because Elisa Guadan practices criminal defense law and is not a business lawyer specializing in defamation cases.
Because if the attorney did specialize in defamation cases in California, she would have recognized that her friend / client former Councilmember Lopez was threatening to file the aforementioned illegal “SLAPP” lawsuit. “SLAPP” lawsuits are described as “a meritless lawsuit filed to intimidate and silence individuals or groups from exercising their free speech rights on issues of public concern. These lawsuits are often based on claims like defamation and are designed to harass defendants with the costs and stress of litigation, even if the claims have little legal standing.”
Corina Lopez Lawyer Elisa Guadan Wrote To Intimidate And Silence Me, Zennie Abraham
The letter that attorney Elisa Guadan wrote to me was written to “intimidate and silence”. Consider this sentence: “This letter is a formal demand that you immediately cease and desist from engaging in, financing, promoting, or otherwise participating in the publication, dissemination, or creation of any false, defamatory, or harassing statements about Mrs. Lopez on any platform, including, but not limited to YouTube, X, and associated blogs.” Now, if that’s not an example of an attempt to “intimidate and silence” me, Zennie Abraham, then what is? All it has done is got my attention, and not in a good way.
And if Elisa Guadan, the lawyer for former Councilmember Lopez, had any experience in defamation cases, she would know that “SLAPP” lawsuits are illegal in California. Here, Google A.I. states “California’s Anti-SLAPP Statute (Code of Civil Procedure § 425.16) allows defendants to file a special motion to strike a complaint early in the case if it arises from someone’s right to free speech or petition on a public issue. If the motion is successful, the case is dismissed, and the defendant may be able to recover attorney’s fees.”
So What’s Got Former Councilmember Lopez So Hot And Bothered Over Me, Zennie Abraham?
So, the “SLAPP” Lawsuit’s not the way to go for former Councilmember Lopez, but what’s she so pissed off with me, Zennie Abraham, about, anyway? Well, according to the lawyer Elisa Guadan’s letter, it’s because I made a video expressing my opinion of two actions Ms. Lopez did in a video described as a “San Leandro Library Fight Video” last year, when it was anything but that.
Remember the San Leandro City Council Race of 2024 and the San Leandro Library video taken during the San Leandro City Council Candidates Forum in October of 2024? The event that a paid blogger falsely reported was the focus of a fight that the blogger said was started by Councilmember Bryan Azevedo?
That blogger told a total lie about Councilmember Azevedo and tried to make the incumbent elected official look like the aggressor in a mix-up involving Former San Leandro City Councilmember Lee Thomas (San Leandro’s first African-American City Councilmember), Councilmember Azevedo’s Mom, and former Councilmember Lopez herself. In point of fact Bryan had no role in the physical pushing and shoving that occurred. However, the video shows that Corina Lopez did.
The actual San Leandro Library video shows that Councilmember Azevedo was a bystander, Councilmember Azevedo’s Mom was closer to Lopez, and Former Councilmember Lee Thomas was on the other side of Former Councilmember Lopez. Ostensibly trying to keep the peace, Lopez reached out both arms to left and right, pushing Councilmember Azevedo’s Mom on the left, and simultaneously shoving Former Councilmember Thomas into the wall behind him.
Corina Lopez Actions Caught On Camera Show The Truth Without Coverup
If you see the San Leandro Library video in real time, it’s really hard not to describe the action as anything other than that. Opinions can differ, but anyone telling an observational truth has to account for what Lopez was doing with her arms. In the case of this vlogger, I said that it looked like she manhandled former Councilmember Lee Thomas. That was a statement of opinion based on three factors: 1) Former Councilmember Lopez pushing out her arms and 2) the contact her hands made with 3) both Councilmember Azevado’s Mom and Former Councilmember Thomas.
That’s not defamation of character, folks, it’s a description of actions taken by Ms. Lopez in the video. But Lopez and her lawyer think it is defamation of character and want me to stop making any content about her and remove existing posts referring to her. That’s the ingredients of a SLAPP lawsuit, without question. In the letter Lopez’ lawyer writes to me, she completely forgets Zennie62Media’s First Amendment Rights.
First Amendment Rights Protect Content Made To Criticize Government Officials
Yes, the First Amendment Rights held by Zennie62Media Inc. Vloggers and Bloggers broadly protect content made to criticize government officials. The U.S Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed that robust, wide-open debate on public issues is essential to democracy, and this includes harsh criticism of officials. Having said that, the video about what former San Leandro City Councilmember Lopez did was anything but harsh and contributed to what was already a lively debate about the video and the forum. Indeed, overall, it was instructive and humorous and without any intent to “defame” former San Leandro City Councilmember Lopez.
Moreover, former San Leandro City Councilmember Lopez had no problem the local paid blogger writing a take on the San Leandro Library video that was favorable to her desire to make Councilmember Azevado look bad. As long as that blogger’s defamatory posts were directed toward Bryan Azevado, former San Leandro City Councilmember Lopez was only too happy to direct others to read that blogger’s take. That, alone, should call Ms. Lopez’s actions in trying to threaten Zennie62Media Inc. and myself into question.
Zennie62Media Inc’s response to Ms. Lopez’ lawyer and former San Leandro City Councilmember Lopez is that it’s not at all defamation of character. Indeed, no malice was intended against Ms. Lopez, who is described as “strong and powerful” in her actions. Why is that a bad opinion, let alone “defamation” about Ms. Lopez, at a time when women want to be seen as “strong and powerful”?
Regular viewers of Zennie62 YouTube Channel and Zennie62Media, Inc. websites like ZennieReport.com, recall how Zennie62Media, Inc. proudly came to the online content defense of San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo during the 2024 San Leandro City Council Race pitting him as the incumbent against Former Councilmember Ed Hernandez (who held Bryan’s seat).
Councilmember Azevedo was unfairly and shamefully attacked on social media and by a number of San Leandro public figures, one who actually hired a blogger to make defamatory content about Councilmember Azevedo, and then another by the name of Corina Lopez, who was once a San Leandro City Councilmember, but online holds herself out as if she’s still a sitting San Leandro City Councilmember (more on that below).
In the case of what Zennie62Media, Inc. does, we have never sought to defame anyone we make content about. The definition of defamation is “Defamation is the act of making a false statement that harms another person’s reputation”. Note: “a false statement”.
Zennie62Media is well aware of the difference and knows that giving an opinion about someone’s physical actions is telling what they did, and not who they are. Apparently, Corina Lopez and her lawyer do now know the difference between what constitutes “defamation” and what is “opinion about someone’s physical actions”.
That Former Councilmember Lopez used her arms to ward off the physical movement of two people, Councilmember Azevedo’s Mom and Former Councilmember Thomas is “a statement of verifiable fact” on video. “A statement of verifiable fact” is a statement that conveys a provably true factual assertion, such as someone tripping on a sidewalk captured in a video. Mrs. Lopez’ lawyer claims Former Councilmember Lopez is upset that I gave the opinion that she “manhandled” Former Councilmember Thomas. But the video you will see shows that’s what she did.
The definition of “manhandled” is “handle (someone) roughly by dragging or pushing” according to the Oxford Languages Dictionary. And the video shows that’s exactly what Former Councilmember Lopez did to Former Councilmember Thomas. Her lawyer claims Mrs. Lopez went to the hospital, but first, she did not call 911 to go in an ambulance, and second, perhaps her healthcare visit was because she strained her arm in pushing Mr. Thomas? I think so.
What Former Councilmember Lopez did is easier to prove than that example, and the Zennie62 YouTube Channel vlog proves it. Here’s the livestream viog called “San Leandro Library Videos Show No Bryan Azevedo Fight But Corina Lopez Manhandling Lee Thomas”:
Contrary to Mrs. Lopez and her attorney Elisa Guadan’s claim, Zennie62Media was hired by Bryan Azevedo’s Campaign to make content that tells the truth about Councilmember Azevedo as a counter to the lies written about him online. The decision of what content to counter was solely based on my judgement, and not that of the Bryan Azevedo Campaign. I was not given words or a script; the content language came from my observations and opinions, and that’s my free speech right.
What people do not understand is that unlike a public relations consultant, Zennie62Media is not paid to make a statement, but to make online content that communicates a message either by photo, text, audio or video. That means the online content has to be made to be discoverable in search engines and social media platforms and it also means that the photo, text, audio or video is not necessarily produced by me (Zennie62Media has other vloggers).
It also means Zennie62Media’s website platforms have to be robust enough to withstand attack from hackers from any corner of the globe. In short, Zennie62Media is paid to use its online content production process for clients (and that production system comes with an operational cost), and not to stand in the streets and yell to the public or speak at a press conference. Moreover, Zennie62Media takes on clients whose values and messages it believes in. We’re not paid to hold an opinion, contrary to some so-called journalists.
In closing, Mrs. Lopez and her lawyer should immediately issue a letter of apology for and withdrawal of the Eisa Guadan letter that amounts to breaking the law by issuing an illegal threat to file an what would be an illegal SLAAP lawsuit.
And Mrs. Lopez is certainly welcome to come on to Zennie62 YouTube Live and talk about this issue with me.