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Charity's director sues WFLA-TV reporter

By TIMES WIRES
Published January 19, 2007

ST. PETERSBURG - The director of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in St. Petersburg has sued WFLA-TV and investigative reporter Steve Andrews over a series of reports last year that she says portrayed her in a false light and caused her severe emotional distress.

A lawyer for Sophie Sampson filed the suit late Wednesday afternoon in Pinellas Circuit Court. The suit seeks damages of at least $15,000.

Sampson's suit claims the reports, which aired in September and October, gave the impression that she had misappropriated a $900,000 federal grant, when in fact the money had been spent properly.

The reports put Sampson "in a false light by distorting the facts, omitting information and arranging the materials to give the false impression" that she was defrauding the Department of Veterans Affairs by not providing services.

"The reporter's actions were grossly negligent," said James D. Eckert, Sampson's lawyer.

Voice messages left with Andrews and WFLA's news director Wednesday evening were not returned. WFLA's attorney, Gregg Thomas, said he had not seen the lawsuit, so he had no comment.

Andrews, who was hired by WFLA in 1985, has won six Emmys, according to the station's Web site.

A GASPARILLA SAULTE: Local champions will get a salute in the sky at Saturday night's Gasparilla "Piratechnic" Extravaganza. The fireworks display will feature tributes to the national champion University of Florida Gators and Plant High School Panthers football team, choreographed to Queen's We Are the Champions. The show will start about 6:30 p.m. immediately following the Gasparilla Children's Parade on Bayshore Boulevard.

[Last modified January 19, 2007, 00:37:08]