Former Eagan council candidate charged with defamation

A former candidate for Eagan City Council has been charged with criminal defamation. Authorities say he posted a bogus ad on the Internet featuring a photo of his ex-girlfriend and a phony solicitation for a sexual partner.

Eric P. Goodrich, 39, was charged with a gross misdemeanor for attempting to intentionally harm his ex's reputation, according to court documents. He could face up to a year in jail and/or a $3,000 fine.

Goodrich lost the Eagan City Council primary on Aug. 12, garnering just over 10 percent of the vote.

He could not be reached for comment.

A criminal complaint that was filed in late June alleges that Goodrich, in an attempt to get back at his former lover, posted a photo of the ex and her current boyfriend in the "casual encounters" section of the online website Craigslist.

The ad was titled "Young hot couple looking for stud-mw4m," and described lewd sex acts and the couples' respective physical appearances, according to the complaint.

The acronym "mw4m" is shorthand for "male/female couple seeking man."

Goodrich's ex found out about the ad only after people started calling in hopes of getting in on the action, authorities said.

She told police that she suspected Goodrich had posted the fake ad, because they had broken up about two months prior and he had been trying to contact her via Facebook and e-mail to request that she return a necklace he'd given her, according to the complaint. She told police she never responded to Goodrich's inquiries.

When police called Goodrich about the ad, he admitted that he'd posted it because he was upset about how the relationship ended, police said. But Goodrich told authorities that he felt guilty about it, and took it down an hour later.

The photo posted on Craigslist had been lifted from her Facebook profile, which is public.

Police said they contacted the Craigslist legal department and had the posting removed from its website. An administrative subpoena verified from Comcast that the IP address used to post the ad registered to Goodrich, according court documents.

In the campaign, Goodrich ran on libertarian leanings, with an emphasis on low taxes and protected property rights. His campaign motto was "Socially Tolerant, Fiscally Responsible."

He is expected in court Oct. 10.

Liz Sawyer • 952-746-3282