Michael Baisden, ABC Radio Network Sued by James Rucker and ColorofChange Over Allegations of Misappropriation of Funds in Jena Six Case

According to Courthouse News Service, James Rucker and ColorofChange.org has ABC Radio Network, Citadel Broadcasting and popular radio show host Michael Baisden, saying that Baisden defamed him by stating on the air that the money he raised for the six Jena High School students who were expelled over a racially charged fight, "has not been going where it needs to go" and calling him "shady."

Rucker says he and his group raised and distributed $210,000 for bail and legal defense for the Jena 6, who were arrested after a racially charged fight. Rucker says he distributed the money by October 2007, and that Baisden's staff knew about it before the Nov. 5, 2007 show on which the defamation allegedly occurred.

On that day, Rucker says, Baisden said, "The money has not been going where it needs to go." He says Baisden added that "We contacted them [the plaintiffs] ourselves. ... I'm going to be frank. ... The perception of my staff is that he is a little shady."

Baisden defamed him again on Nov. 6, Rucker says, by saying: "He (James Rucker) sound shady to me. Sounds like a shady brother ... Slim Shady." (Parentheses in complaint.)

And on Nov. 9, Rucker says, Baisden read on the air and posted on his Web site a statement "that ColorOfChange.org was not authorized by the Jena 6 families to collect money on behalf of four of the six families." Source: Courthouse News Service

People can we all get along? Why must we always air our dirty laundry in public. I used to listen to Michael Baisden's show many evenings as I rode home from work and I remember hearing him make those allegations. I believe he apologized on the air shortly thereafter. I am almost positive it was in reference to this matter, unless I am mistaken. I thought to myself then, when he made the initial comments, why would he accuse these people on the air without first doing some investigative work to ascertain the veracity of those claims. Baisden does a lot of good things in the black community and I won't throw him under a bus, but I completely understand the position of James Rucker because of the nature of his organization. You simply cannot allow allegations of misappropriation of donations to surface about your organization when it is the very lifeline and goal of ColorofChange.