FEUDS

Sharpton: Limbaugh's Op-Ed Defamatory

Says pundit must clarify his statement or face lawsuit.

Reverend Al Sharpton is threatening to file suit against Rush Limbaugh for an op-ed published Saturday, which Sharpton says “erroneously” describes him as involved in violent activities in New York in the early 90s. Sharpton "played a leading role in the 1991 Crown Heights riot (he called neighborhood Jews ‘diamond merchants’) and 1995 Freddie's Fashion Mart riot,” Limbaugh wrote in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal in which he describes the “intimidation tactics” used to push him out of the world of the NFL. The Crown Heights riot began after a Hasidic rabbi ran over and killed an African American boy with his car by accident. Four nights of rioting followed. Sharpton rallied on behalf of the boy’s family and the African American community. "Mr. Limbaugh's blatant and defamatory statements regarding the Crown Heights Riots falsely give the impression that Rev. Sharpton was present during the violence that occurred when in reality he had been called in by the family after the violence," Sharpton’s statement says. He is demanding Limbaugh apologize or clarify his remarks or he will move forward with a lawsuit. Limbaugh’s bid for the St. Louis Rams was overshadowed by controversy over Limbaugh's race-related comments.