Esmeralda Soria will have to wait before filing her own defamation lawsuit.

It is the latest salvo in a legal feud in which former Fresno City Council colleagues took to litigation to settle negative campaigning from a 2022 election for state Assembly. Soria won the race and continues to serve in Sacramento. Meanwhile, Mike Karbassi remains on the city council, where he serves as president.

Karbassi filed a defamation lawsuit, alleging a Soria campaign mailer lied about him.

Soria wants to file a counter-defamation suit, with an Oct. 7 hearing where a judge will determine if she can. A court’s permission is required because Soria did not file her countersuit in a timely fashion. Soria wanted to get a five-week head start.

Fresno County Superior Court Judge Lisa Gamoian denied Soria’s motion in a Sept. 2 ruling without explanation.

The three-year saga is scheduled for trial starting Dec. 1.

Messages to Soria, her campaign, and her attorneys were not returned. Karbassi had no comment.

Lawsuit Based Around 2022 Mailer

The controversy started with a mailer sent by Soria to voters in the 2022 campaign, implying Karbassi assaulted a woman. It wasn’t Karbassi who committed the crime, but rather a campaign consultant he hired.

Karbassi sued claiming defamation on the assault charge, and allegations Soria made of financial mismanagement.

Soria filed to dismiss the case. While winning an anti-SLAPP motion in the lower courts, the California Supreme Court reinstated Karbassi’s lawsuit on the assault allegations, but not on the financial allegations.

In recent court filings, Soria’s attorneys said they discovered alleged defamatory statements made by Karbassi against her during the campaign.

A draft cross-complaint alleges a Karbassi mailer accused Soria of making direct statements about corruption, not accepting oil and gas money, and defunding the police.

“None of these statements were ever made by Cross-Complainant Soria,” the draft complaint said.

Jessica Boujikian, representing Soria, asked Karbassi’s attorney Brian Whelan to stipulate to the cross-complaint lawsuit. He refused, citing a statement Soria made during a deposition.

Soria’s Attorneys Downplay Defamation Denial

In court documents, Soria said she was not defamed by Karbassi.

“Do you claim that Mike Karbassi defamed you?” Whelan asked Soria during an April 25, 2025, deposition that is now part of the court record.

“I don’t claim that Mr. Karbassi defamed me. He sent three negative mailers on me,” Soria responded.

Soria answered “no” two more times when asked if she believed the mailers were defamatory.

Whelan noted in email communications with Boujikian, that Soria is “a lawyer with a degree in communications from Harvard who makes laws for a living.”

Soria’s attorneys downplayed the deposition in a court filing.

“As a non-practicing attorney without specific legal training in defamation law, and over the objection of counsel identifying the question as calling for a legal conclusion and expert testimony, Ms. Soria testified that she did not personally believe the negative mailers constituted defamation,” her attorney explained.

The State Bar of California continues to list Soria as an active attorney, with a P.O. Box in Merced.

Her attorneys argued her testimony should not prevent her from filing a cross-complaint. Among their arguments — she is not trained in defamation law, defamation should be determined by a judge or jury, and discovery revealed Karbassi’s alleged defamation.

“Her lay opinion regarding whether certain statements constitute actionable defamation should not be given the same weight as a legal determination applying established defamation standards,” her attorneys argued.

Karbassi Experienced Problems Because of Mailer

In other court documents, Karbassi said he “has experienced a higher degree of difficulty with campaigning and fundraising” because of the alleged defamation. He also claimed a “reduction of revenue” at his family’s Persian rug business.

Karbassi is running for Fresno County Clerk/Registrar of Voters in 2026. Soria is running for state Senate.