Brian Harpole, the security officer assigned to Charlie Kirk during the activist's assassination at Utah Valley University in September 2025, filed a defamation lawsuit against Candace Owens on Thursday. The complaint, filed by attorney Matt Sarelson of Dhillon Law Group, alleges that Owens spread baseless conspiracy theories accusing Harpole of conspiring with the U.S. government to kill Kirk in the months following the shooting.
According to the lawsuit, Owens promoted multiple false claims about Harpole's involvement. Among the allegations cited in the complaint is that Owens claimed Harpole was present at Fort Huachuca, an Army base, on September 9, 2025, for a classified meeting with senior government officials. The lawsuit states this claim is "verifiably false" and that travel records show Harpole was in Dallas, Texas on that date. The complaint also notes that base access records would be available to contradict the assertion.
The lawsuit points to several public statements made by Owens. In a December 12 post on X, Owens wrote that Harpole "has already been caught lying about what transpired on that day" and questioned whether he had made a 911 call after Kirk was shot. Owens also characterized Kirk's security team as "shady" and referenced what she described as a "credible" tip from a military member regarding Harpole's alleged presence at the Army base.
The complaint characterizes Owens as "the most high profile spreader of baseless Charlie Kirk conspiracy theories" and states that her actions "have encouraged and emboldened and otherwise given cover to other people" to promote similar theories. Harpole alleges in the lawsuit that Owens's statements have damaged his personal and professional reputation, cost him business opportunities, and caused emotional distress.
The lawsuit argues that none of Owens's statements constitute protected opinion or rhetorical hyperbole, asserting they are simply false. The complaint emphasizes that "it is simply false that Harpole knew Charlie Kirk was going to die or was involved in the planning, commission, or alleged cover-up of the assassination."
In response, Owens addressed the lawsuit during a Thursday podcast episode. She noted that Harpole never communicated with her directly, issued a retraction demand, or responded when she reached out on December 17 to request an off-the-record discussion. She suggested the lawsuit would grant her access to subpoena power and stated the matter represents an unusual deviation from standard legal procedure.
The case centers on statements made following Kirk's death. Authorities have charged a suspect who officials say confessed to the crime to his father. That individual faces charges of aggravated murder, obstruction of justice, and felony discharge of a firearm, with prosecutors seeking the death penalty. The defendant's legal team has requested a delay to a preliminary hearing scheduled for May to allow time for additional investigation and analysis, including inconclusive ballistics testing and DNA examination of items recovered from the scene.
