Al Jazeera America Files Lawsuit Against Former Vice President Gore and Joel Hyatt

NEW YORK, Sept. 19, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Al Jazeera America has not only rejected the claims in a complaint filed by the prior owners of Current TV, led by former Vice President Albert Gore, Jr. and Joel Hyatt, but has filed its own suit against the former owners. Al Jazeera America's suit is based on misrepresentations by Gore and Hyatt in connection with Al Jazeera America's acquisition of Current TV.

Al Jazeera America rightfully seeks compensation from an escrow fund that was established solely and specifically to protect Al Jazeera against any harm resulting from these inaccurate representations.

While Gore and Hyatt's suit is a desperate attempt to add to the hundreds of millions of dollars already paid for Current TV, Al Jazeera America's complaint clearly shows that the former owners did not live up to their promise to indemnify Al Jazeera America for claims made against actions taken by Current TV while it was managed by Gore and Hyatt. Gore and Hyatt agreed to back up their promise with money by agreeing to place millions of dollars in an escrow fund – a "lockbox" – to pay Al Jazeera America for any costs incurred as a result of these claims. 

According to Andrew L. Deutsch, the Partner at DLA Piper, LLC, representing Al Jazeera America;

"No one should feel concerned for the plaintiffs, as Vice-President Gore, Joel Hyatt and their associates have already received hundreds of millions from the sale of Current TV. The remainder of the sales price is held in escrow, and Al Jazeera America is entitled to be indemnified from that money for claims arising from Gore and Hyatt's management of Current."

When distributors made claims concerning actions taken while Current TV was run by Gore and Hyatt, Al Jazeera America asserted its contractual right to be indemnified from the escrow fund.  Faced with Al Jazeera America's clearly indemnifiable claims, Gore and Hyatt instead attempted to grab the escrow funds in the lockbox by filing its complaint. They concocted absurd allegations that Al Jazeera America somehow conspired with its distributors to make phony claims against the escrow lockbox. Al Jazeera America has asked the court to throw out these meritless claims and award damages to Al Jazeera America. Al Jazeera America is confident that the court will dismiss the Gore-Hyatt complaint and rule in its favor.

In accordance with court procedures, interested persons have asserted confidentiality as to some of the allegations contained in the Answer and Verified Counterclaims, and that information has been redacted from the publicly available version. The court will soon make a final determination as to the confidentiality of the redacted information. Al Jazeera America is happy to put all of the material facts in the open and allow an impartial court decide the outcome

About Al Jazeera America: 

Al Jazeera America is the new U.S. news channel that provides both domestic and international news for American audiences. Al Jazeera America's reporting has received accolades from journalists and critics around the country.  Al Jazeera America programs have received or been nominated for the Emmy Award, the Peabody Award, the RFK Award, and many other awards in journalism and broadcasting.

It is headquartered in New York City with bureaus in 12 cities across the United States and access to more than 70 Al Jazeera Media Network bureaus around the world. Visit Al Jazeera America online at www.aljazeera.com for the latest updates. You can also like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aljazeeramerica. Follow us on Twitter @AJAM www.twitter.com/ajam and join the conversation using #AlJazeeraAmerica.

SOURCE Al Jazeera America