Al Jazeera America Files Countersuit Against Al Gore

NEW YORK: Al Jazeera America has now filed its own lawsuit against Al Gore and Joel Hyatt, after the former owners of Current TV previously lodged a complaint against the news network.

Al Jazeera America is now seeking compensation from an escrow fund that was established "to protect Al Jazeera against any harm resulting from these inaccurate representations," the network alleges.

Andrew L. Deutsch, partner at DLA Piper, LLC, representing Al Jazeera America, said: "No one should feel concerned for the plaintiffs, as Vice President Gore, Joel Hyatt and their associates have already received hundreds of millions from the sale of Current TV. The remainder of the sales price is held in escrow, and Al Jazeera America is entitled to be indemnified from that money for claims arising from Gore and Hyatt's management of Current."

Previously, Gore and Joel Hyatt filed a lawsuit claiming that the Qatar-owned network failed to make payments from the purchase of Current TV in 2013 for $500 million. Gore claims that Al Jazeera has withheld around $65 million in payments in an escrow account.

Now, Al Jazzera is saying that "Gore and Hyatt's suit is a desperate attempt to add to the hundreds of millions of dollars already paid for Current TV," and that "Al Jazeera America's complaint clearly shows that the former owners did not live up to their promise to indemnify Al Jazeera America for claims made against actions taken by Current TV while it was managed by Gore and Hyatt. Gore and Hyatt agreed to back up their promise with money by agreeing to place millions of dollars in an escrow fund—a 'lockbox'—to pay Al Jazeera America for any costs incurred as a result of these claims."