MSNBC’s Ed Schultz Defendant in Federal Lawsuit
Schultz Charged with Fraud and Anti-labor Practices by NBC Broadcast Engineer
Ed Schultz, host of MSNBC’s “The Ed Show” and self-proclaimed champion of labor unions and workers’ rights, is named in a federal lawsuit filed by his former partner and labor union official, Michael Queen of NBC. Schultz is accused of fraud, breach of contract and other charges stemming from efforts to bring his talents to television.
Mr. Queen, a broadcast engineer for NBC, first approached the late NBC Washington Bureau Chief Tim Russert with the idea of Schultz as a TV host. Queen then approached Mr. Schultz in January, 2008, and Schultz agreed to partner with Queen to create a TV opportunity. NBC veteran and legendary TV Director Max Schindler (Meet the Press and the Today Show) joined the project, only to quit shortly thereafter, citing ethical differences with Schultz. Among the many promises Schultz made to Queen was “any TV deal will obviously involve you. I will not do a TV deal without your involvement....” Tim Russert suggested Queen pitch the concept to MSNBC President Phil Griffin in April, 2008. Mr. Griffin initially turned the idea down, only to then hire Schultz nearly a year later, in March, 2009, to host “The Ed Show” (currently on MSNBC’s primetime weeknights).
After he was hired by MSNBC, Schultz met with Queen. Schultz personally assured Queen that he would pay Queen what he was owed. Since then Schultz has refused to honor those commitments to Mr. Queen. “We pitched the TV idea to various network executives, produced a TV pilot, secured an apartment in D.C. for Ed and his wife Wendy and even gave them a car to drive free for three months. We picked them up at the airport, and went shopping for them – all while helping them become millionaires, and we received nothing for our efforts!” said Queen.
Mark Lane, counsel for Michael Queen, said, "We made every effort to meet with Mr. Schultz and his attorney, not really expecting an amicable settlement, but hoping for a fair resolution. On more than one occasion we asked the general counsel of NBC, who is not representing Schultz, to arrange a meeting. On each occasion Schultz and his attorney refused to meet. Schultz, while admitting his debt, refused to make any offer. We then sent a courtesy copy of the Complaint to counsel for Schultz in an effort to resolve the issue. His response was that we should file the Complaint. Given the circumstances, Mr. Queen was constrained to do so."
Mr. Queen is the NBC Executive Board member of NABET/CWA (National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians/Communications Workers of America) Local 31 in Washington, DC. Lead attorneys for Mr. Queen are Frazer Walton and legendary lawyer, Mark Lane, who has drafted legislation for the United States Congress and the New York State Legislature, where he served as an elected member. He has written many books, including Rush to Judgment and Plausible Denial, two major books published in the wake of the John F. Kennedy assassination, which questioned the conclusions of the Warren Commission. He also has written the soon to be published The Last Word: My Indictment of the CIA in the Murder of JFK and an upcoming autobiography.
Media Contact: Amy Clute: 240-425-3044
Requests for copies of legal Complaint by e-mail only please: schultzcase@gmail.com
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