Democrat congressional candidate Rob Quist’s venereal disease, drug use, and marriage problems were revealed to the public this week when a national media outlet uncovered documents from a medical malpractice lawsuit filed by Quist. The documents show, among other things, that Quist suffers from depression, has genital herpes, tested positive for tuberculosis, uses recreational drugs, and sought help from a counselor to save his marriage.
The lawsuit, first reported by the Washington Free Beacon, was filed in 1994 against Dr. Roch Boyer, the surgeon who performed a gallbladder operation that Quist has cited as the reason for his extensive financial problems. Quist and his campaign have regularly stated that his more than $27,000 in unpaid debts and taxes were caused by a botched surgery in 1996, even though the court records state the surgery occurred in 1992. Quist’s financial troubles began in the early 2000s.
In the suit against Dr. Boyer, Quist sought damages for medical treatment, lost wages and lost income potential from Quist’s music career which he states was “getting ready to pop” at the time of the surgery. Additionally, Quist’s wife, Bonni, claimed damages for “the loss of services, society, and companionship” of her husband.
Dr. Boyer denied any wrongdoing, saying that he acted appropriately and met the standard of care during the surgery.
During the course of the lawsuit, Dr. Boyer discovered that Quist was previously diagnosed with genital herpes, had tested positive for tuberculosis, sought counseling to save his “failing marriage”, and confessed to regularly smoking marijuana.
Additionally, documents in the suit assert that Quist’s music career had been in trouble as far back as 1981, eleven years prior to the surgery. Quist was sued 3 times by former band members – twice to collect on unpaid debts and once to terminate a partnership.
Quist was represented by high-profile personal injury lawyer Monte Beck of Bozeman. Beck objected to the use of Quist’s pre-existing conditions and drug use as a defense to Quist’s suit, saying, “Nothing in Rob Quist’s case has anything to do with a pre-existing condition of genital herpes.”
Lawyers for Dr. Boyer disagreed, arguing that all of the evidence was relevant because Quist was seeking damages for, “a variety of problems including lethargy, depression, and lack of energy.”
To address claims that the surgery derailed his musical career, lawyers for Dr. Boyer brought in two Nashville music executives to testify that Quist’s quest to make it in the music business was “extremely unlikely” to be successful.
“Quist faced overwhelming odds in his quest to become a star as a country music recording artist,” the defense argued. “He was a man in his forties trying to start a recording artist’s career in a market whose demographics are limited to 18 to 30-year-olds.”
According to the defense expert: “His singing voice, while pleasant, not without talent, lacks the kind of distinctive quality or identity which would distinguish it from the many other potential recording artists that are available at a moment’s notice in Nashville.”
After the defense refused to exclude mention of Quist’s genital herpes, tuberculosis, and drug use from the case, Quist decided to dismiss the case. It is unclear whether Quist received any money as part of the settlement. However, both sides did pay their own legal fees.
By: Big Sky Headlines staff