Bradlee Dean sues Rachel Maddow
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| Smith wants more than $50 million from the MSNBC host. |
According to Smith, better known as Bradlee Dean, Maddow and other unnamed news outlets defamed him by tweaking comments made on his radio show about Christians taking a lax stance toward homosexuals.
In an interview with City Pages earlier this month, Smith talked in great detail about his belief that the media has unfairly targeted him.
"It's hurtful crap people say," Smith said of the media. "And they say, well, you're a public person. But then you think about Jesus Christ up on the cross being crucified, and what was he crucified for? He was crucified for their sins. That's a hard lesson to learn, man."
UPDATE: Video of the Bradlee Dean press conference
The offensive quote in question is taken from a May 15 broadcast of Smith's radio show, originally reported by Dump Bachmann:
"Muslims are calling for the executions of homosexuals in America... and this just shows you they themselves are upholding the law that are even in the Bible of the Judeo-Christian god, but they seem to be more moral than the American Christians do because these people are livid about enforcing their laws. They know homosexuality is an abomination..."
Maddow later quoted a similar excerpt on her show during a segment about Tom Emmer, who has donated to Smith's ministry:
The motive for skewing his words, according to Smith's ministry, traces all the way back to Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann.
"The left wing media's effort to defame Dean is an obvious way to try to harm Bachmann's presidential prospects, who they fear and despise," reads a statement from the ministry.
Smith will release more details on the suit at a press conference at the New York Press Clubs, schedule to start at 11 a.m. Eastern this morning.
Here's the full audio of the clip from the radio broadcast, via Dump Bachmann:
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