Aspiring Politician to Sue 2 Florida Papers

Jeff Greene, a Florida real estate developer who lost one of the year's most bitter and closely watched primary elections, is preparing to sue The St. Petersburg Times and The Miami Herald for libel, claiming that articles they published cost him his bid for the United States Senate.

A libel suit is a rare step for a political figure. While many candidates complain about unfair news coverage, few go as far as making their complaints a legal case. But Greene, who has deep pockets and apparently the wherewithal to pursue the case all the way to trial, has proved he is no ordinary politician. Dogged by rumors about wild parties aboard his 145-foot yacht and about fraudulent real estate deals, Greene will seek at least $500 million in damages in part, he said, to teach the news media a lesson. "I want to send a message to every newspaper in the country: Do your homework," he said. "I deserve to have the record corrected, and they deserve to be punished." At issue are two news articles written by St. Petersburg Times reporters that were printed in both The Times and The Herald, and a Times editorial urging a federal investigation into Greene's business activities.