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Current TV Responds to Keith Olbermann's "false and malicious" Lawsuit, Files Cross-Complaint
Olbermann
It's ON: Current TV has not only responded to ousted anchorman Keith Olbermann's newly-minted lawsuit against the independent cable network, but has filed a cross-complaint.Levying allegations that Current TV promised Olbermann the moon but could barely scrape together a sliver (and kept poking their nose in his show, "Countdown,"), the suit filed yesterday by the vocal host called for the network to pay him up to $70 million. Olbermann was fired last week, when the network had had enough of his tempermental ways.
The counter-complaint, however, is asking for Olbermann's suit to get the boot, too.
Politico has published a link to the .pdfof the cross-complaint, filed Friday in Los Angeles County Superior Court. In it the network's lawyers posit that the suit is "frivolous" and that the network hadn't done a damn thing wrong. "Current had every right to terminate Mr. Olbermann's services," the document reads, "rather than continuing to pay a princely sum while receiving a pauper's performance in return."
In fact, Current believes it is Olbermann who is in breach of contract, saying that he "failed to deliver on his contractual promises." They allege that instead of helping bring up the profile and reputation of the re-vamped network co-founded by Al Gore, he sabotaged their efforts and undermined the staff. The network's lawyers break down a series of contract violations illustrating what a pain in the butt they thought it was to employ Olbermann.
Additionally, Current has issued a statement about the lawsuit (courtesy Politico):
As the old adage says: "When the law is on your side, you argue the law. When the facts are on your side, you argue the facts. When neither the law nor the facts are on your side, you pound the table.² We will be happy to engage on the law and the facts in the appropriate forum. It is well established that over his professional career Mr. Olbermann has specialized in pounding the table. However, Mr. Olbermann, by filing his false and malicious lawsuit, has now put this matter into a legal process where there will be an objective review of the facts.
We hope Mr. Olbermann understands that when it comes to the legal process, he is actually required to show up.
After reading the @Current filing my attorneys and I think it should be subtitled "How To Try To Pound The Table...And Miss."
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) April 6, 2012
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A word of caution if you want to barb Olbermann on Twitter; he seems to delight in barbing right back.
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