Jeff Greene to Sue Newspapers for Costing Him Senate Bid
Jeff Greene, the wealthy Florida real estate developer who came up short in his Democratic Senate primary race against Rep. Kendrick Meek, is planning to sue two Florida newspapers for libel, the New York Times reports.
According to the newspaper, Greene's suit is grounded in the notion that reporting by the newspapers - The St. Petersburg Times and The Miami Herald - cost him the primary.
"I want to send a message to every newspaper in the country: Do your homework," he told the Times. "I deserve to have the record corrected, and they deserve to be punished."
Greene plans to seek at least $500 million from the newspapers, according to the New York Times. He has reportedly hired L. Lin Wood, a lawyer who specializes in suits against media outlets for unfair treatment, to represent him.
Among Wood's former clients is Richard Jewell, the security guard who won a settlement after being connected in news reports to the 1996 Atlanta Olympics bombing.
Greene was dogged throughout the campaign by reports of lavish parties on his yacht, and one report in the Times intimated that boxer Mike Tyson, the best man at Greene's wedding, used drugs on the yacht. (The paper later noted that Tyson denied that claim.)
Another story that the New York Times says is the focus of the planned suit reported that Greene, who made much of his fortune betting against the housing market, was involved with a deal that left 300 families homeless.
Greene will have to prove that the newspapers acted with "actual malice" to win the case, which may well be difficult. But regardless of the outcome, the suit is a headache for The St. Petersburg Times and The Miami Herald, which will have to devote time and money to fighting the charges at a time when many newspapers are struggling to stay in business.