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Dan Snyder To Ask For $2 Million In Damages In Lawsuit Against Washington City Paper

As we noted yesterday, the Redskins have officially filed a lawsuit on behalf of Dan Snyder against the Washington City Paper for "lies, half-truths, innuendo and anti-Semitic imagery to smear, malign, defame and slander" Snyder in a series of stories culminating in a November 18 piece by Dave McKenna titled "The Cranky Redskins Fan Guide To Dan Snyder." The lawsuit is asking for the paper, as well as its parent companies, to pay $2 million in damages, $1 million for libel and $1 million for damage to his reputation.

The Washington City Paper vowed yesterday to fight the lawsuit, saying it will defend itself "vigorously."

The lawsuit centers around four things printed in the November 18 piece, though it is part of what Snyder's representatives believe to be a "smear campaign" against the publication. Those four things:

 

  • an allegation that Snyder was caught forging names as a telemarketer for Snyder Commucations," a claim Deadspin puts down here
  • an allegation that Snyder used Agent Orange to destroy trees on land protected by the National Park Service.
  • an allegation that Snyder bragged his wealth came from diabetes and cancer patients.
  • an allegation that Snyder was "tossed off" the Six Flags Board of Directors.
In addition, Snyder's team takes issue with the photo of the cover story, which shows Snyder with devil horns doodled on his face. This is where the "anti-Semitic imagery" comes in. Of course, many of the Washington City Paper executives are Jewish. Snyder is also upset at the depiction of his wife, who is a breast cancer survivor.