Ronald Rubin. Photo: Diego M. Radzinschi

Alleging "scandalous and false accusations," a Tallahassee attorney has filed a defamation lawsuit against former top state financial regulator Ronald Rubin, who was fired last summer amid sexual harassment allegations.

Attorney Kimberly Grippa, who filed the lawsuit in Leon Circuit Court, applied to become general counsel of the Florida Office of Financial Regulation last year and was swept up in the controversy about Rubin's ouster.

Grippa's role in the controversy stems at least in part from Rubin's allegations that Tallahassee lobbyist R. Paul Mitchell helped orchestrate his ouster as commissioner of the Office of Financial Regulation. Grippa is the ex-wife of former Leon County Commissioner Tony Grippa, a friend of Mitchell's.

Rubin has sought to tie the sexual harassment complaints that led to his firing to a decision against hiring Kimberly Grippa. He contended Mitchell was angry about the hiring decision and is close to state Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, who led efforts to fire Rubin.

In the defamation case filed Wednesday, Kimberly Grippa said Rubin has filed lawsuits alleging she was a co-conspirator in an "enterprise" against him. She said the allegations have caused her to be denied job opportunities.

The defamation case said Grippa has "no means of defending herself against the unsubstantiated, impertinent, scandalous and false accusations defendant (Rubin) has cast upon her in an attempt to swing the spotlight away from himself and his behavior."

She claimed news coverage of Rubin's accusations led to character assassination of her and her professional reputation.

Grippa denied Rubin's allegations, called them unsupported and said they "are nothing more than a scandalous attempt to shift focus from Rubin's discriminatory and scandalous behavior against women."

Miami attorney Michael Tein of Tein Malone, who represents Rubin, filed an amended complaint Monday against Mitchell and declined comment Friday on Grippa's case.

Rubin was hired in February, placed on leave by the state last May 10 and fired in July.

The complaint said Grippa was interviewed by Rubin for the job in March. She sent an email May 13 to Patronis' chief of staff reporting "numerous discriminatory statements and inappropriate acts based in Grippa's gender" by Rubin during the interview.

He previously was a partner with Hunton & Williams in Washington, a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau enforcement attorney, special counsel with the Securities and Exchange Commission and a Broward state prosecutor. He lists a Washington address on his Florida Bar profile.

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