Freelance tv producer Kristen Hentschel has filed a high-profile lawsuit in opposition to an internet of highly effective people and organizations, alleging {that a} conspiracy led to the destruction of her once-flourishing profession.
The ‘Emmy-nominated producer’ accuses Jeffrey Pitts, a former CEO of the controversial consulting agency Matrix LLC, together with public relations powerhouse McNicholas & Associates, and distinguished information shops NPR and Floodlight, of orchestrating a marketing campaign of defamation, false mild, and invasion of privateness.
“Plaintiff Kristen Hentschel (“Plaintiff” or “Hentschel”) brings this motion in opposition to Defendant Jeffrey Pitts (“Pitts”) for tortious interference with enterprise relationships, defamation, false mild, and invasion of privateness, in opposition to Defendant McNicholas & Associates, Inc. (“McNicholas”) for invasion of privateness and false mild, and in opposition to Defendants Nationwide Public Radio, Inc. (“NPR”) and Floodlight, Inc. (“Floodlight”) for defamation and false mild,” in response to the courtroom submitting obtained by The Gateway Pundit.
Hentschel, who beforehand labored behind the scenes at ABC Information, claims her skilled and private life grew to become collateral harm in an influence wrestle between Pitts and Matrix’s proprietor, Joe Perkins.
The allegations heart on Pitts, who allegedly “groomed” Hentschel to serve his pursuits earlier than sacrificing her profession to guard high-profile purchasers, together with Florida Energy & Mild and Florida Crystals.
Hentschel contends that Pitts supplied false info to media shops, leading to NPR and Floodlight publishing defamatory articles that irreparably broken her repute.
The tales, printed in late 2022, accused Hentschel of unethical journalism practices, together with leveraging her ABC credentials for company espionage—a declare she vehemently denies.
The Journalist’s Resource reported that the operations of Matrix LLC, a political consulting agency, and its alleged funds to native information shops to form protection in favor of highly effective purchasers, may need remained undisclosed if not for an nameless whistleblower who leaked a whole lot of inner paperwork in 2022.
The leaked trove included emails, monetary ledgers, and different data that laid naked the agency’s covert techniques.
Floodlight, an environmental information collaborative, joined forces with NPR to dig into the paperwork. Over 5 months, journalists from each shops painstakingly verified particulars from the data.
Their investigation culminated in a December exposé titled “Energy Play,” which targeted on Matrix’s work for 2 main purchasers: Florida Energy & Mild and Alabama Energy, among the many nation’s largest utility firms.
The investigation revealed that Matrix and its purchasers funneled a whole lot of 1000’s of {dollars} to 6 information websites and even a tv producer to discredit critics of the ability firms. Among the many extra damning findings was the involvement of freelance producer Kristen Hentschel, recognized for her work with “Good Morning America.”
Hentschel reportedly acquired at the least $14,350 from Matrix to pose as a journalist and ambush environmentally ‘pleasant politicians’ with deceptive questions, claiming to characterize ABC Information.
Daily Mail reported:
Hentschel is accused of at the least 4 completely different acts of political espionage whereas on the payroll of Matrix.
In a single occasion, she confronted a Florida State Rep and alleged {that a} development venture that he was concerned in of being chargeable for deaths of endangered tortoises, which was false.
Hentschel can be accused of smearing a South Florida mayor by saying {that a} beforehand settled lawsuit involving the mayor’s daughter and a buddy was about to come back below renewed highlight.
On one other event, Hentschel door stepped a Florida Republican Congressman, telling his spouse and she or he was from ABC Information, and desirous to query him about crude jokes he had made on Fb years earlier.
In one other weird act, Hentschel, who is predicated in Florida, employed an Atlanta-area private coach and befriended her. The coach was the ex-girlfriend of the CEO of an organization that was a rival to her purchasers. It was later reported that the coach and her ex-boyfriend had been the victims of spying.
ABC instantly denied any connection to the scandal, stating, “Kristen Hentschel was a contract each day rent who by no means labored for ABC Information on the political tales referenced within the NPR article.”
NPR and Floodlight are accused of failing to confirm their sources and counting on leaked, unverified paperwork supplied by Pitts and McNicholas. The articles, which NPR has refused to retract, allegedly forged Hentschel as a “rogue operative,” inflicting ABC Information to sever ties along with her.
Based on the courtroom submitting:
“Plaintiff supplied written discover to Defendants NPR and Floodlight previous to submitting this motion, particularly figuring out the alleged defamatory statements and affording them the chance to research and difficulty a correction, retraction, or clarification. This discover was served greater than 5 (5) days earlier than the submitting of this Criticism, in compliance with the statutory necessities.
As a direct and proximate results of Defendants’ false statements, Plaintiff has suffered lack of employment {and professional} alternatives, together with termination from ABC Information; important hurt to her skilled repute and credibility, emotional misery; and financial damages.”