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Judge Dismisses Ex-Lobbyist's Suit Against Tribune

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By THOMAS W.  KRAUSE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 16, 2008

Updated: 01/16/2008 02:35 pm

TAMPA - A federal judge today dismissed a lawsuit filed against The Tampa Tribune by a former lobbyist for the Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority who had claimed he was fired because of "innuendo" and "falsehoods" in newspaper articles.

In the suit, filed in August, John Beck claimed newspaper articles placed him in a false light by distorting or omitting facts. The articles, he said, caused his company, Beck Consulting Group, to be fired wrongly by the authority.

In December, Tribune attorneys argued that the lawsuit should be dismissed because Beck never identified specific information that needed a retraction or correction, which would have been necessary to go forward with the suit.

Janet Coats, vice president and executive editor of the Tribune, said Beck did contact the newsroom with complaints about several stories and newsroom personnel did check on points he raised.

"We never got anything from him that, through our own checking, showed that we were wrong or incorrect on the information we were publishing," Coats said. "Any time someone complains about a story, we check it."

Today, U.S. District Judge Susan Bucklew agreed with the Tribune and dismissed the case. She also wrote that Beck did not respond when attorneys for the Tribune asked for the dismissal. Therefore, she wrote, she considers him to be unopposed.

Beck's attorney did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Reporter Thomas W. Krause can be reached at (813) 259-7698 or tkrause@tampatrib.com.

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