Anonymous Ecco Title on Terrorism Sparks Lawsuits

An anonymous title from Ecco Press has produced two lawsuits against the author, causing her to throw off her anonymity.

The book, Terrorist Hunter, is an investigation into the money trail of terrorist groups. The author went undercover to discover a network of fund-raising sources for outfits like Hamas and Islamic Jihad. As the title was being released, 60 Minutes aired a piece that featured the author, in disguise, implicating some of the same American-based organizations she revealed in the book. Almost immediately after the segment aired, the author became the subject of two separate lawsuits, one by two D.C.–area charities and the other by a Georgia poultry farm. And almost immediately after that, the author decided to reveal her identity—she is Rita Katz, a noted Washington–based terrorist watchdog. She said that most people who might pose a threat to her as a result of the book knew who she was anyway.

The first suit, brought by the northern Virginia charities Heritage Education Trust and Safa Trust—which Terrorist Hunter says have raised money for violent and criminal organizations—has been filed against CBS (but not HarperCollins, parent to Ecco Press) and seeks $80 million in damages. A Gainesville, Ga., poultry company called Mar-Jac is also suing 60 Minutes, as well as correspondent Bob Simon, Katz and the group Katz runs, the Search for International Terrorist Entities. The book asserts that Mar-Jac has taken money from Saudi Arabian interests and laundered it for terrorist organizations like Hamas, Islamic Jihad and al-Qaeda. Mar-Jac also has not sued Harper.

Both plaintiffs deny the respective accusations and allege libel. "What we're objecting to is the depiction of our client as being an intermediary in the laundering of monies," said Mar-Jac lawyer Buddy Parker, who added that because the allegations are criminal, they are "per se libelous." He also objected to the reporting of the piece. "The defendants failed to approach us and give us the opportunity to give a fair comment."

Parker said that he's not suing the publisher because, "to be brutally honest, we didn't want to take on both 60 Minutes and HarperCollins." But Parker maintained his client sees no real distinction between the two. "We have the same case against HarperCollins as we do against 60 Minutes—they are both cases against Rita Katz."

While his company is not formally named in the lawsuit, Ecco publisher Dan Halpern emphasized that he supports his author. "The book was very carefully vetted by our lawyers, and I believe everything in it is true." He said, "Anyone can point a finger. The author's job is to document, and she has amazing documentation for everything in the book. If it comes to a court case, she has all the material."

Halpern added that while he respects the author's wishes, he is relieved that she has disclosed her identity. While her name was a secret, he encountered a problem familiar to publishers of anonymous work—greater mystery, difficult publicity. "I knew there would be some problems but didn't realize how many," he said.