LA Times Says Wiretapping Claims Are Bogus

And despite what the recent crop of billboards say, the class action lawsuit being brought against a Los Angeles Times reporter makes no claims of wiretapping.

Instead, the suit alleges that business columnist Michael Hiltzik recorded telephone interviews with attorney Robert Silverman. LA Times spokesperson Nancy Sullivan says Hiltzik never recorded any such conversations, and that the case is without merit.

Silverman has a history of suing the paper without success, as the LAT noted in a post on L.A. Now:

The Times has published a series of articles and columns detailing the deaths of five patients after having Lap-Band surgery at centers affiliated with 1-800-GET-THIN.

Silverman has represented 1-800-GET-THIN and two of the people behind the campaign, Michael and Julian Omidi, in three lawsuits against The Times and its journalists. All three lawsuits were dismissed. The Omidis were ordered to pay The Times legal expenses in two of the cases.

Ed Padgett has the staff memo from LA Times CEO Kathy Thomson about the billboards.

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