A New Orleans civil court on May 29 tossed out a defamation lawsuit that businessman Bill Hammack brought against state Sen. Royce Duplessis, finding Hammack had not shown a likely path to victory and ordering him to cover court costs and attorneys' fees. The dispute centered on an email in which Hammack wrote that a Duplessis staffer had called mayoral candidate Helena Moreno a "white devil," an email he says he accidentally sent to Duplessis himself. Judge Monique Barial issued the ruling in Orleans Parish Civil District Court, closing the case in that forum for now.
How the case started
Hammack, a multimillion-dollar businessman and supporter of Helena Moreno, told the court he was passing along what someone said they heard from Duplessis campaign senior strategist Tyronne B. Walker to a group of Black businessmen. As reported by Gambit, Hammack said he sent the message to Duplessis by mistake and then asked the senator to delete it. The suit alleges the email instead made its way into wider circulation and was used in attacks tied to the 2025 mayoral contest, fallout that Hammack argued damaged his reputation.
Judge's ruling
In her May 29 opinion, Judge Barial wrote that "the court finds that [Hammack] has failed to demonstrate a likelihood of success on his claims," and she dismissed the complaint. The order also directs Hammack to pay court costs and attorneys' fees for Duplessis, his campaign committee, and campaign manager Tyronne Walker, according to Gambit.
Hammack's local ties
Hammack is a longtime New Orleans entrepreneur and a 23-year partner in chef Donald Link's Link Restaurant Group, and he serves on the board of the Greater New Orleans Foundation. Duplessis has denied that his staff used the phrase in question, and the dispute turned into a flashpoint in the 2025 mayoral race as candidates and their allies traded accusations over racially charged language.
Where the case was decided
The dismissal came out of Division D of the Orleans Parish Civil District Court, where Judge Monique E. Barial serves, according to the Louisiana Judiciary. The Civil District Court is located at 421 Loyola Avenue in downtown New Orleans, per the Orleans Parish Civil District Court website.
What this means
The ruling brings Hammack's civil push to hold Duplessis and others liable for spreading the email to an end in this court and sends the larger fight back into the political arena. With the judge finding no likelihood of success on the claims, the legal costs now land on Hammack unless he chooses to pursue an appeal.
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