Dan Rather's Suit Against CBS Partially Dismissed By Judge

Oct. 27 2008, Published 7:07 a.m. ET

A judge has filed a motion to dismiss the $70 million lawsuit former CBS talking head Dan Rather filed against CBS, its parent company Viacom, and honchos Les Moonves and Sumner Redstone in 2007. TV Newser's got confirmation from CBS News. Rather was forced out of the CBS Evening News after a botched report on George Bush's service in the Texas Air National Guard, and the lawsuit claimed, among other things, that he was thrown under the bus in the reports' aftermath, was robbed of airtime at his other gig on 60 Minutes, and that he lost a whole lot of money over the matter. Developing ...

Update: Dan Rather's lawyer, Martin R. Gold, writes that only four of seven claims in the suit have in fact been tossed out. Gold dismisses CBS counsel Jim Quinn's claim that "The core of the allegations of fraud and fair dealing have been thrown out. What's left is a garden variety contract dispute":

"Although not every legal theory of the case survives, as a result of the decision, the Court has permitted discovery and a trial of all of the factual issues that form the basis of Mr. Rather's lawsuit, including his $70 million claim for compensatory and punitive damages. The defendants' statement that all that is left is a 'garden variety contract dispute' is simply inaccurate."

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