WHEELING – A Wheeling attorney who is running for the House of Delegates says she is being harassed by a former client who is unhappy with the outcome of his case.
Teresa Toriseva’s campaign issued a statement November 1 detailing the tactics used by Anthony Ashby, saying he claims to be a member of the Proud Boys.
“(Ashby) claims he is dissatisfied with the outcome or the cost of his domestic matter,” the press release states. “Ms. Toriseva never met, talked to or connected with him online prior to her campaign when he began targeting her.
“Mr. Ashby’s matter was directly handled by other attorneys of Toriseva Law.”
Toriseva Law includes five attorneys and staff members.
Toriseva’s campaign says the harassment began when Ashby sent a direct message on social media to Toriseva. Then, it says he moved to making comments on the campaign Facebook page after Toriseva declared her candidacy as a Democrat running for the 4th District seat in the House of Delegates. It says Ashby made comments in other public social media forums as well.
“When he received no attention from Ms. Toriseva or the public, he escalated to picketing the law firm with a homemade hand-held sign that stated a lie,” the release states. “The sign said, ‘Toriseva RIPS OFF low-income families.’
“While picketing the firm on the first day, he told a Toriseva Law employee, ‘I want my money back. I’ll be here every day until the election or until I get my money back.’”
Then, the campaign says Ashby’s threatening conduct escalated to following Toriseva in public.
“At an event that had not been previously publicly disclosed, Mr. Ashby showed up with his picket sign coming within feet of Ms. Toriseva, her employees, family members, and volunteers,” the release states. “On Monday, October 31, 2022, Mr. Ashby again appeared on the public sidewalk in front of Toriseva Law to picket and hold his sign during the morning rush hour.
“Reasonable efforts to get him to stop the harassment have failed. His employer, Tri-State Exterminating Company, was notified because a Tri-State Exterminating truck was used as a surveillance vehicle in at least one incident.”
According to the campaign statement, Ashby had previously boasted he is armed and routinely carried his concealed weapon when interacting with Toriseva Law. The campaign says Toriseva has been forced to change her business practices and to hire private security.
“Ashby has now moved to in-person harassment of Ms. Toriseva at her private business and elsewhere as she campaigns,” the release states. “Toriseva continues to be concerned for her safety and that of her friends, family, co-workers and her campaign supporters.”
On November 1, Ashby posted a partially redacted letter sent to his employer, Tri-State Exterminating Company, on a Facebook page related to happenings in Wheeling.
“Now instead of just letting people have free speech and ignoring the guy just holding a sign, they shift to dirty tactics to try and get me fired!” Ashby posted, saying the two-page letter was hand delivered to his boss.
The letter, dated October 30 and signed by attorney Mark Kepple of Bailey & Wyant, suggests a civil lawsuit regarding Ashby’s actions could be filed.
“Given the events associated with the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2020, elected officials and those seeking to hold elected office are growing increasingly concerned for their safety, the safety of their families and the election process in general when they are confronted by individuals engaged in aggressive, subversive tactics,” Kepple’s letter states, saying Ashby and other employees of the company tried to intimidate Toriseva and her supporters during a “honk and wave” event last week when someone in a company vehicle tried to intimidate participants and displayed a middle finger at a campaign volunteer.
“Within minutes of this event, Mr. Ashby aggressively approached the participants of the event in a menacing way within mere feet of volunteers and Toriseva’s family members.”
The campaign statement also included a comment from Toriseva.
"I will not be bullied or intimidated by anyone,” she said. “I will not be extorted for money to avoid ‘bad press.’
“This is not a First Amendment issue. The right to free speech does not mean one can lie, threaten, defame, or bully me. While Ashby has been escalating, I have taken steps to try to diffuse the situation by ignoring him. But his threats make clear he is attempting to affect the election unless I relent to his hostile demands for money he is not owed. I ask the public to be on alert, tone down the rhetoric, and keep each other safe. We can disagree without violence, harassment, and intimidation.”
Toriseva faces off against six-term Republican incumbent Erikka Storch in the general election for the newly created 4th District, which includes most of Ohio County.