Former state senator in NC settles lawsuit alleging he broke up a marriage
Former state Sen. Rick Gunn settled a lawsuit alleging he had an affair with his former legislative assistant, Karen Johns, attorneys on both sides of the case said Tuesday.
Gunn plans to pay Johns an undisclosed sum in return for the lawsuit being dropped, according to the attorney of Karen Johns’s husband, Arthur Johns.
“Upon payment of that money, he will dismiss his lawsuit charges against Senator Gunn,” Arthur Johns’s attorney, Richard Gantt, told The News & Observer on Tuesday. “I’m not allowed under the terms of the lawsuit to tell you the amount or any other details.”
Gunn’s attorney, Nathaniel Smith, told The N&O in an email that the “case has been settled and the suit will be dismissed in a matter of weeks.” He declined to comment on whether Gunn has agreed to pay Johns.
WRAL first reported the suit had been settled.
In a lawsuit filed in August, Arthur Johns alleges Gunn’s affair with his wife, Karen Johns, led to their divorce.
Johns sued Gunn for alienation of affection and criminal conversation, saying that in 2016, Gunn began interfering with the Johnses’ marriage.
North Carolina is in the minority of states that allows spouses to sue people for either of those charges.
Accusations of affair, misusing office
Gunn, an Alamance County Republican, did not respond to a voicemail or text message requesting comment Tuesday, but in August he said the lawsuit was “baseless and hurtful.”
“I disagree with these allegations but in light of the pending court proceedings, I will refrain from further comment,” Gunn said at the time.
Karen Johns began working as Gunn’s legislative assistant in 2011, according to her LinkedIn profile, when Gunn began his first term as a state senator.
The lawsuit alleges Gunn encouraged his legislative aide to spend time with him outside working hours, communicate with him “immediately and almost constantly” and travel alone with him.
Karen Johns also hid her communication with her boss and hid financial transactions from her husband, the lawsuit said.
Arthur Johns believes a sexual affair happened between Gunn and Karen Johns when they traveled alone for long periods of time, according to the lawsuit, and accused Gunn of using his office as senator to destroy Arthur Johns’s reputation, publicly embarrass him and humiliate him.
As a result, Arthur Johns said he suffered both physical and mental distress and has sought treatment for both. He also said in court documents the affair affected his job.
He said he suffered damages between $30,000 and $1 million because of the affair. The couple have two biological children, and Karen Johns has a son who considers Arthur Johns his father, the lawsuit states.
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This story was originally published March 9, 2021 at 2:00 PM.
