El Cajon City Councilman Ben Kalasho has been named in a San Diego Superior Court lawsuit alleging fraud, defamation, unfair business practices and other claims related to his fall election campaign and to a beauty pageant he runs with his wife.
The elected official did not respond to multiple telephone messages left at City Hall and on his cell phone, or to emails sent by U-T Watchdog. In a statement to the San Diego Reader, which first reported the lawsuit, Kalasho rejected the allegations and predicted victory in court.
“We will protect our brand and reputation at all costs and will not yield to publicity stunts and erroneous allegations whereby ulterior motives and a chance for fame or hunger for money are the clear and evident reasons for such dispute,” he told the weekly newspaper.
Filed in May and amended last month, the complaint accuses Kalasho and his wife, Jessica, of defaming Zhala Tawfiq, the 2016 winner of the Miss Middle East Beauty Pageant, in part by posting photos with her likeness on the bodies of naked women on social media.
The images appeared shortly after Tawfiq raised questions about the legitimacy of the pageant, and were “tagged” in order to make sure she became aware of them, the complaint alleges.
Kalasho, 35, also is accused in the lawsuit of creating fake social media profiles to publicly criticize a business that refused to display a campaign sign last fall and a lawyer who prevailed in an earlier case against him. He also allegedly rigged results of the 2016 pageant after one contestant refused his sexual advance, the lawsuit claims.
“This conduct is outrageous as detailed herein and is worthy of exemplary damages under California law,” the lawsuit contends.
The 19-page complaint was filed by Tawfiq and three other plaintiffs — pageant participant Paris Kargar, attorney Lina Charry and 3 Brothers Taco Shop Inc. The suit seeks a jury trial and unstated punitive damages.
Tawfiq, who was subsequently stripped of her crown, said in the lawsuit that she never received all of the promised contest prizes — $2,000 in cash, clothing, cosmetic dentistry and commercial auditions, among others — and instead was handed an unreasonable and onerous employment contract.
In his statement to the Reader, Kalasho denied the charges.
“While it is an unfortunate circumstance, Tawfiq’s allegations are easily disproved and we too look forward to exposing her allegations to the bright light of proof at trial,” he wrote. “As the founder and president of the largest ethnic pageant in the world, The Miss Middle East Beauty Pageant USA, we take pride in following all the legal necessary steps of executing binding contracts, of which we have in fact in the case at bar.”
According to court records, Kalasho is represented in the case by Stephen Liosi, a family law attorney in Pasadena. Liosi did not return emails or telephone messages left by U-T Watchdog.
The amended complaint accuses Kalasho of commenting lasciviously on Kargar’s physical appearance during the 2016 Miss Middle East rehearsals. It also contends that he denied her a fair opportunity at the title after she refused to accept his invitation to him in his hotel room.
“You stay here tonight with me and you win tomorrow,” the lawsuit contends that he told the contestant.
Kalasho also is accused of creating at least four fake profiles on social media sites, then using the s to criticize business rivals.
According to the complaint, Kalasho and his wife attacked 3 Brothers after an owner refused to allow a Kalasho campaign sign to be placed inside the business. Two days later, the Middle Eastern Chamber of Commerce, a business group founded by Kalasho and run by his wife, posted a poll seeking solicitations on the best local Mexican eatery, the lawsuit claims.
“On October 17, 2016, the Chamber publicly posted a large graphic with the alleged results of their 48-hour poll, ranked 15 restaurants and proclaimed 3 Brothers ‘the worst Mexican food in El Cajon’,” the complaint alleges.
Other allegedly fake social media profiles posted comments claiming they were sickened by food served at 3 Brothers, which does business as Tres Taqueria, the lawsuit claims.
“I ate at Tres and got really sick,” someone claiming to be Robert Forbes posted on the chamber Facebook page. “I don’t know how Hollywood Casino Jamul-San Diego has them in their food court area. Don’t think they will last long.”
San Diego lawyer Lina Charry alleged a similar experience after prevailing in a court case against Kalasho. Charry was singled out with a bogus poll as the worst lawyer in San Diego County, the complaint alleges.
“The Kalashos utilized their fake profile Mr. ‘George’ to further defame Charry by posting that she was seen performing fellatio in public,” the lawsuit claims.
Attorney Jimmie Parker filed the plaintiffs’ case against the El Cajon councilman, his wife and the nonprofit groups that operate the beauty pageant and chamber of commerce.
“The evidence will prove that the Kalashos have weaponized social media and used perceived online anonymity to attack and defame innocent individuals,” he told the Watchdog via email. “This conduct is antithetical to American notions of a free democracy and it is of paramount importance that the public has access to the facts regarding these claims in order for justice in this matter to be served.”
Kalasho, who was born in Iraq and migrated to San Diego County as a boy, was elected to the El Cajon City Council in November after a failed campaign in 2012.
He has not yet filed his formal response to the Superior Court complaint. The lawsuit is scheduled for a case-management conference next month.
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