Gore sues Al Jazeera over Current TV sale

Former US vice-president Al Gore is suing Al Jazeera, claiming the Qatar-based broadcaster has withheld US$65 million owed to him and a partner over the sale of Current TV.

Gore and fellow Current TV founder Joel Hyatt have accused Al Jazeera of fraud and breach of contract. The filing, in a Delaware court, alleges that the Qatari company has withheld US$65 million owed to them from Al Jazeera’s purchase of the US news network, that is currently held in an ‘escrow’ account.

According to the pair, the money was due to be paid out this year. They allege that Al Jazeera, which has not commented on the lawsuit, has reneged on the deal.

Al Jazeera bought the struggling news service in January last year as a base to expand its presence in the US, in a deal estimated to be worth about US$500 million. It used Current TV’s contracts with US cable providers to launch Al Jazeera America in August last year.

Gore was reportedly expected to make about US$70 million gross from the sale of his 20% stake after debt.