A San Antonio attorney is suing CBS affiliate KENS for libel and defamation.
The San Antonio Express-News reports, Jon Christian Amberson is looking for “at least $1 million in actual damages and $5 million in punitive damages” from the station.
In a statement, Amberson said “Without any facts whatsoever to support their storyline, KENS-TV. . .misrepresented numerous statements and claims attacking my honesty, integrity and professional work, all in an effort to fabricate a scandal to drive their TV news ratings.”
In 2009, Amberson represented Michael and Cassandra Harms in a lawsuit against oil company Regency Field Services. The couple alleged the company exposed them to dangerous toxins.
According to Amberson’s lawsuit against KENS, the couple and the company entered into a confidential mediated settlement. As part of the settlement, the suit adds, the Harms deeded their 10-acre homestead to Regency.
In May, though, the Harms told KENS I-Team reporter Joe Conger that they never agreed to give up their property. The report said the couple was informed by a bank and local title company that they still owned the property, Amberson’s suit states.
In a follow-up report less than two weeks later, the suit adds, Conger reported, “The Harms say the property is theirs. Regency maintains the couple signed it away in a confidential settlement agreement between the attorneys.”
Conger added, the suit continues, that the Harms said Amberson never showed them the contents of the mediated settlement and that they never signed the agreement.
Gannett Satellite Information Network has also been named in the suit.
TVSpy asked KENS for comment. We will update when we hear back.