Oneida County Executive candidate Dave Gordon is now facing a defamation lawsuit.

Caitlin McCann, who Gordon accused of having an affair with current County Executive Anthony Picente, has officially filed the lawsuit against Gordon.

McCann is a former staffer for Picente. Her attorneys filed the defamation suit seeking punitive damages for the distress caused in her life. In a statement, lawyers said the lawsuit was filed for all libel and slander victims who have been attacked by people running for political office with no factual or legal basis for making false statements against their victims.

Gordon responded with a statement of his own, saying “does anyone question the motive behind the attorney and their client releasing a lawsuit to the media during a hotly contested campaign?"

In Picente's only statement about the claims, he called Gordon’s accusations "junk."