Current TV co-founders Al Gore and Joel Hyatt have launched a fraud and breach-of-contract lawsuit claiming that Al Jazeera is withholding money from its $500 million purchase of the cable news network.

The complaint was filed under seal in the Delaware Court of Chancery, but information provided reveals that the plaintiffs are seeking $65 million held in escrow.

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore is being represented by David Boies, the attorney who memorably represented him in the 2000 battle over a Florida election recount.

"Al Jazeera America wants to give itself a discount on the purchase price that was agreed to nearly two years ago," said Boies in a statement. "We are asking the Court to order Al Jazeera America to stop wrongfully withholding the escrow funds that belong to Current's former shareholders."

According to Boies, the plaintiff is also filing the case under seal with some objection.

"We do not believe that our complaint should be sealed," he says. "However, despite being a news organization, Al Jazeera America has said that the full complaint should be kept from the public file. We have therefore filed the complaint under seal until the Court can resolve this issue. We expect that the Court will reject Al Jazeera America's argument."

An Al Jazeera spokesperson says in a statement, "Our outside counsel is reviewing the complaint. We think it relates to a commercial dispute between former shareholders of Current Media and Al Jazeera America. We may have further comment once they’ve fully reviewed everything."

The announcement that Current TV would be sold to Al Jazeera came in January 2013. It was believed at the time that the Qatari royal family, which owns Al Jazeera, was most interested in attaining Current's favorable distribution deals with cable and satellite TV providers. However, since the deal was made, Al Jazeera America has faced litigation from AT&T and DirecTV. In both cases, Al Jazeera has fought hard to keep details of the lawsuits under wraps.

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Read more:http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq...-jazeera-725762

Love this headline: "Al Jazeera Tells Al Gore to Get Bent"

"Al Jazeera America issued a forceful statement Wednesday, dismissing Al Gore’s fraud suit against the purchasers of his TV network and calling the characterization of the conflict overblown.

“The lawsuit and statement simultaneously issued by Al Gore’s celebrity trial lawyer were designed to grab headlines with misleading accusations like ‘fraud’ and ‘price discount,’” the Qatari-owned network said. “The truth is that this is an ordinary commercial dispute, of the type that courts decide all the time.”...

AJAM’s attorneys maintained “its right to indemnification from escrow funds” and looked forward to their client’s day before “an impartial tribunal,” aka court."

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/al-jazeera-te...re-to-get-bent/