Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura is suing the publisher of the book that a federal jury said defamed him. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2014/12/16/us/ap-us-sniper-author-ventura.html?ref=us
Ventura was awarded $1.8 million in a lawsuit that alleged “American Sniper” author Chris Kyle made up claims in his book about punching Ventura after he made offensive comments about Navy SEALS at a California bar in 2006. Ventura says it never happened. Both men are former SEALs. Kyle died last year.
The Star Tribune (http://strib.mn/1yV56vO ) reports that Ventura’s new lawsuit against HarperCollins says publicity about Kyle’s claims generated millions of dollars in profits for the New York publisher. The lawsuit seeks $150,000.
The book has been made into a movie directed by Clint Eastwood and being released Dec. 25.
HarperCollins executives say their attorneys haven’t seen the lawsuit.