Defamation lawsuit filed against Murtha
Seems to be a lawsuit blogging streak I’m on, but that’s just what keeps coming up. This time it’s the well-known former Marine Congressman John “Cut-and-Run” Murtha that’s on the receiving end. The Marine staff sergeant in charge of the squad that Murtha claims murdered innocent civilians (on purpose, mind you, after cracking under the pressure when they lost a comrade to a roadside bomb) has filed a defamation suit against the Congressman over Murtha’s comments.
A Marine Corps staff sergeant who led the squad accused of killing two dozen civilians in Haditha, Iraq, will file a lawsuit today in federal court in Washington claiming that Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) defamed him when the congressman made public comments about the incident earlier this year.
Attorneys for Frank D. Wuterich, 26, argue in court papers that Murtha tarnished the Marine’s reputation by telling news organizations in May that the Marine unit cracked after a roadside bomb killed one of its members and that the troops “killed innocent civilians in cold blood.” Murtha also said repeatedly that the incident was covered up.
Murtha’s office, of course, isn’t releasing any comments, now. Should be interesting to see how Murtha responds to this. I mean, after he blusters that he’s protected by his elected-official status from being liable for anything he says. Once that argument goes out the window, Murtha’s going to start squealing on whichever Marine commander provided him with his info so Murtha can save his own arse. Then we can get to the bottom of who fed him the lines.
