Barr alleges defamation in suit against Clinton, Carville and Flynt

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Posted 4:24PM on Thursday, June 13, 2002

WASHINGTON - Republican Representative Bob Barr of Georgia is suing former President Clinton, Democratic analyst James Carville and Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt, claiming they harmed his reputation and caused him emotional distress during the Clinton impeachment. Barr, who was the first lawmaker to call for Clinton's resignation, is seeking at least $30 million, along with attorney's fees and other costs. He filed the lawsuit March 7 in U.S. District Court. But the usually media-friendly congressman kept the matter quiet until Flynt, who says he was notified last week, went public this week. In a telephone interview from his Los Angeles home, Flynt said Thursday, ``It's ridiculous. I have no idea why the guy filed a lawsuit. He's been out of the limelight for a while so maybe he's looking for some attention.'' The lawsuit, filed along with various news articles and television transcripts, alleges the three defendants took part in a common scheme and ongoing conspiracy to attempt to intimidate, impede and/or retaliate against Barr and other House impeachment managers. Specifically, it accuses Carville of providing Flynt with F.B.I. files and other classified information on Barr's private life for use in a smear campaign. It alleges Clinton approved of the actions. Carville said, ``I don't know if it's more silly or more frivolous. It's just a political stunt. I think the best thing to do is let the courts handle it.'' Flynt printed a 27-page expose of Barr in Hustler, a pornographic magazine, alleging the congressman was a hypocrite who embraced family values in public but didn't follow those standards in his own life. Flynt denies having contact with Carville or anyone else at the White House, insisting most of the information came from a private investigation and court documents from Barr's divorce.