Gaston Gazette building Gaston County commissioners announced Friday they'll drop a controversial libel suit against The Gaston Gazette but say they'll now try to withhold advertising money from the local newspaper. The dispute stems from a November article about the process commissioners used to authorize four workers’ compensation settlements. Commissioners filed a libel suit later that month against the Gazette and parent company Gannett. WFAE spoke to four First Amendment experts who said the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled against libel suits filed by public bodies. They said the Gaston suit would almost certainly be quickly dismissed. On Friday, commissioners issued a statement saying they consulted with County Attorney Jonathan Sink in closed session Thursday and decided to withdraw the suit. The statement says commissioners still believe the article was "reckless and irresponsible," but "the County must do the right thing by its taxpayers and stakeholders countywide and drop what could end up being an expensive lawsuit, win or lose.”