Jack Ciattarelli announced that he will be suing Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill for defamation after comments she made during a debate.

During a debate on Oct. 8, Sherrill claimed twice that Ciattarrelli profited off the opioid crisis, leading to deaths.

“You’re trying to divert from the fact you killed tens of thousands of people by printing your misinformation, your propaganda,” she charged. The connection to opioid manufacturers surfaced during Ciattarelli’s last bid for governor.

Ciattarelli's strategist Chris Russell called the remarks, "a clearly defamatory attack that shocked the moderators, press and public alike."

"In a time where political violence and violent rhetoric are becoming all too prevalent, Mikie Sherrill baselessly and recklessly accusing a political opponent of mass murder in a televised debate, crosses the line," said Russell.

Sherrill responded to the defamation lawsuit during News 12’s "Ask the Candidate" show.

"Jack has still not addressed anything about this company he ran, he still has not addressed that app he was paid to develop, because instead he's trying to divert from any accountability, and this is pretty typical of Jack Ciattarelli," she said in the exclusive interview.