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FIRST ON FOX: A erstwhile high-ranking Department of Homeland Security (DHS) charismatic who was publically sidelined successful a "sugar daddy" media firestorm is fighting backmost pinch a awesome defamation lawsuit, accusing her able ex-boyfriend of weaponizing her gender to destruct her counterterrorism profession aft she rejected a matrimony ultimatum.
Julia Varvaro, nan 29-year-old erstwhile DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary for Counterterrorism, revenge a national title Monday successful nan Eastern District of Virginia, alleging defamation per se and defamation by accusation against Robert "Bob" Bianchi, multimillionaire CEO of national contractor SDVO Solutions.
The suit accuses Bianchi, 57, of fabricating a DHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) title that falsely claimed Varvaro’s assemblage acquisition was funded by "sugar daddies" and her jewelry consisted of "trophies."
He past leaked nan confidential complaint, backstage photos and matter messages to The Daily Mail to ignite a tabloid scandal, according to nan suit.
Over nan people of aggregate weeks, nan suit alleges Varvaro took clip disconnected activity and traveled to meet each of Bianchi's 3 children successful San Diego, California, Washington, D.C., and Charleston, South Carolina. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)
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The suit specifically targets "defamation by implication," accusing Bianchi of strategically manipulating friendly matter messages to framework their age-gap narration arsenic a transactional "sugar baby" arrangement.
Attorneys reason a leaked matter connection speech wherever Bianchi teased, "Don’t f— pinch Daddy connected fashion," and Varvaro replied, "Daddy knows all," was lighthearted banter astir their property quality — not grounds of activity work.
The suit besides addresses Apple Cash transfers that Bianchi framed arsenic "consideration for sex," noting nan payments were modular financial flows of a committed relationship.
In 1 backstage matter exchange, erstwhile Bianchi suffered from kidney stones successful Europe and Varvaro allegedly covered his emergency aesculapian bills, screenshots included successful nan suit show he texted her, "I'm sorry person ... Thanks for your thief today. I was struggling," to which Varvaro replied, "It's okay person arsenic agelong arsenic you are bully is nan only point that matters ... Whatever you request I will fig retired arsenic agelong arsenic you're good."
Photos showed payments linked to an alleged aesculapian sojourn initially funded by Varvaro. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)
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Later, aft she drove him done snowy roads, screenshots show Bianchi messaged her: "I emotion you Julia. Thanks for being You," and gave her his location keycode, texting, "I’m yours lover... you are ever welcome, immoderate clip aliases day."
Bianchi besides often messaged her support, writing, "I'm proud of nan activity you do. You're making a difference," and expressed his gratitude aft introducing her to his children: "Thanks for a bully evening. I admit you gathering each my kids... I emotion you."
However, attorneys declare nan reside shifted during a historical 76-day authorities shutdown successful February, erstwhile Varvaro was furloughed.
Attorneys allege Varvaro packed their six pieces of luggage, checked retired of their hotel, loaded their things into a car, and drove 40 minutes done treacherous, snowstorm-stricken upland roads to nan infirmary during a aesculapian emergency abroad. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)
The suit alleges that erstwhile she planned to return a impermanent bartending occupation to salary rent, Bianchi insisted she travel to him for nan costs instead. But erstwhile she accepted, Bianchi utilized her financial vulnerability arsenic leverage for control.
In different exchange, he purportedly texted her: "I told you I americium not paying your bills until we are engaged."
Varvaro said she refused nan ultimatum, ended nan relationship, and told him she did not request "an ATM."
In an exclusive question and reply pinch Fox News Digital, Varvaro’s attorney, Vel Freedman, described nan fallout of nan consequent media contention arsenic "devastating."
Attorneys provided a photograph of a life-sized poster of a Daily Mail article encountered by counsel connected a caller travel to Washington, D.C. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)
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Freedman revealed Varvaro has been "terribly" impacted, suffering nationalist humiliation, losing her position and seeking therapy nether nan attraction of physicians.
He besides highlighted nan unsocial weaponization of gender successful nan alleged smear campaign, noting that Bianchi's allegations were tailored to beryllium "extraordinarily devastating to her profession and her reputation... successful a measurement that is benignant of unsocial to being a woman."
The ineligible conflict flips nan communicative from April 22, erstwhile nan media initially reported she was ousted. An anonymous complainant, now identified arsenic Bianchi, told The Daily Mail he spent $40,000 connected Varvaro, that she used drugs, and had a making love floor plan connected Seeking — a website that markets itself arsenic "a abstraction wherever emotion and luxury meet."
Varvaro maintains she met Bianchi connected Hinge, a abstracted making love app that uses a Nobel-Prize-winning algorithm to study users' "type," according to nan company.
Attorneys provided screenshots from Varvaro's societal media inboxes showing alleged harassment. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)
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Once his personality was unmasked by nan press, however, attorneys said Bianchi recanted, telling People Magazine their narration was really "brief and personal" and "not a 'sugar' relationship."
Despite his retraction, Varvaro was terminated from DHS and had her employment connection arsenic a CIA targeting officer rescinded.
FILE - Vel Freedman delivers his closing remarks successful Zachary Young’s defamation proceedings against CNN. (Jessica Costescu)
It is unclear what circumstantial concerns aliases infractions prompted Varvaro's dismissal.
The CIA, DHS, Hinge and Seeking did not instantly respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment. Bianchi could not instantly beryllium reached for comment.
Alexandra Koch is simply a Fox News Digital Editor, pinch a attraction connected high-impact events that style nationalist conversation.
She has covered awesome nationalist crises, including nan L.A. wildfires, Potomac and Hudson River aviation disasters, Boulder panic attack, and Texas Hill Country floods.
