Miniter v. Wash Times, Round 2: Federal Lawsuit Coming

Richard Miniter (inset)
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Washington Times editorial page editor Richard Miniter, who Tuesday filed a discrimination complaint against the newspaper, will take another step tomorrow by suing the Times in federal district court in Washington, his lawyer, Larry Klayman, tells TPM.

“We’re filing a hard-hitting lawsuit to remedy the harm caused to Richard and to freeze the assets of the Washington Times,” Klayman said, declining to detail the specific allegations in the suit. He said he had given notice to the Times‘ attorney, and that the paper, along with individuals, including Publisher Jonathan Slevin, would be named as defendants.

Reached by TPM late this afternoon, Times‘ attorney Beth Wolffe of Virginia, declined to comment. The Times‘ spokesman has not returned calls.

After Miniter filed a discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Tuesday, Slevin fired back in a publisher’s note in today’s paper. Saying the Times does not discriminate, Slevin said: “I am confident that once the charges raised by Mr. Miniter, are investigated, the company will be fully vindicated.”

Miniter’s EEOC complaint says he was fired in October, but he remains on the paper’s masthead today (the picture below is from Tuesday’s edition).

Klayman says Miniter will seek a temporary restraining order, asking a judge to freeze the paper’s assets. He will then ask for a preliminary injunction and seek to call witnesses, including, Klayman says, Rev. Sun Myung Moon, to testify about the “financial structure of the empire.” Rev. Moon, leader of the Unification Church, founded the Times and his son Preston controls its parent company, News World Communications.

This is not the first time Miniter has been involved in a suit against an employer. In December 2007, he and a group of other authors sued conservative publisher Regnery, accusing the company of depriving writers of royalties.

U.S. News & World Report‘s Washington Whispers column reported yesterday that Miniter lost a suit against Regnery and that his wages at the Times were being garnished — $1,325 per paycheck — to pay off a $159,428 judgment.

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