Milpitas councilmember files defamation complaint against former vice mayor

MILPITAS — Councilmember Hon Lien is accusing former Vice Mayor Karina Dominguez of damaging her reputation during the election season by stating that Lien had hurt family members and was evicting a mother and child from their home in Vietnam — all statements that Lien claims are false.

Lien filed the complaint in Santa Clara County Superior Court on Jan. 7. Dominguez has 30 days to respond.

Lien, who was appointed to the council in 2022 for a four-year term, ran unsuccessfully for mayor against incumbent Carmen Montano in the recent elections. Dominguez served on the council from 2018 to 2022. She was briefly appointed vice mayor in 2019 before the council stripped her of the title.

Lien’s lawyer Dan Nguyen said last year Dominguez made multiple false statements that damaged Lien’s reputation and violated her privacy. “The allegation is based on the information that the defendant posted information on Facebook, on social media and also from talking to other individuals,” he said.

Lien is accusing Dominguez of defamation, intrusion into private affairs, public disclosure of private facts and putting her in a false light — a legal term referring to when someone is portrayed publicly in a misleading manner that creates a false impression.

The complaint states that in May 2024, Dominguez sent a personal text to a Milpitas resident claiming Lien had done business in an unidentified country, and that Lien was, “banned from ever going back or she was going to get arrested.” Dominguez also texted the same resident that Lien’s business had failed because she didn’t follow proper U.S export laws in the U.S.

In October, Dominguez told another citizen that Lien was involved in evicting a mother and her child from their home in Vietnam. In another instance on an unspecified date, Dominguez posted on her Facebook page that  Lien was hurting her family in Vietnam.

Nguyen repeatedly mentions in the complaint that the mentioned statements are false.

“There is clear and convincing evidence that defendant Dominguez knew the disclosure would create a false impression about Hon Lien or acted with reckless disregard for the truth,” Nguyen stated.

Lien could not be reached by this news organization for a comment.

The complaint also states that Dominguez had been given the opportunity to retract her statements via a cease and desist letter, which she failed to fully do.

Dominguez could not be reached by this news organization for a comment on the claims.