Dan Rather sues CBS for $70 million

By Michelle Nichols

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former CBS news anchor Dan Rather sued the network on Wednesday for $70 million, saying CBS violated his contract by depriving him of air time and made him a scapegoat to "pacify the White House."

Rather was removed as anchor of the "CBS Evening News" after 24 years in March 2005 after a scandal over a September 8, 2004, report on President George W. Bush's military record that he presented in the middle of the presidential race between the Republican Bush and Democrat John Kerry, a Vietnam veteran.

He kept reporting for the weekly news program "60 Minutes," but was dumped by CBS in June 2006 after 44 years with the network. He said they offered him no assignments.

The lawsuit by the 75-year-old Texan was filed in State Supreme Court against CBS, CBS Chief Executive Leslie Moonves, Viacom Inc, Viacom Chief Executive Sumner Redstone and Andrew Heyward, former head of CBS News. It claims CBS cost him "significant financial loss and seriously damaged his reputation."

"Central to defendants' plan to pacify the White House was to offer Mr. Rather as the public face of the story, and as a scapegoat for CBS management's bungling of the entire episode," the lawsuit said.

"CBS management coerced Mr. Rather into publicly apologizing and taking personal blame for alleged journalistic errors in the broadcast," it said. "Mr. Rather was not responsible for any such errors."

CBS said in a statement, "These complaints are old news and this lawsuit is without merit."

INTEGRITY 'SACRIFICED'