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Gambling911.com has acquired a verified copy of a lawsuit filed last year by an individual whose attorney claims libel against American Pharoah owner Ahmed Zayat.
American Pharoah will run in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes race, looking to become the first Triple Crown winner in nearly 40 years.
As previously reported on Gambling911.com, Zayat is alleged to owe close to $2 million to offshore sportsbooks and has been sued by Howard Rubinsky. Zayat insisted in various media that the accusations were all lies and, at times, implied it was an extortion attempt.
Mr. Rubinsky’s attorney, Joseph Bainton, has since alleged that Zayat engaged in libelous activities against him by approaching the press and making such claims.
Bainton contends in the suit that declarations were made to various newspapers suggesting he was “being blackmailed” by his client and it could be implied that Bainton played an active role in facilitating such criminal behavior.
Bainton claims: “These declarations by the Defendant were then published in the New York Daily News to its subscribers in print and, in addition, appeared on that paper’s website”.
The Plaintiff then references the blackmail and extortion allegations, noting that this is considered “criminal activity” in all fifty states.
The suit notes that “All of defendant’s libelous declarations represent a childish temper tantrum caused by the fact that he and his lawyers simply forgot to attempt keep from the public what are in fact public records”.
In previous Court documents obtained by Gambling911.com, Zayat states in a deposition that he had only met Bainton’s client on one occasion, then began back peddling to suggest “maybe more” despite text conversations shown over a period of months demonstrating a much closer relationship.
A COPY OF THIS SUIT MAY BE READ HERE (PDF)
- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com Publisher
