The suit reads:

“Dan Rather, one of the foremost broadcast journalists of our time, seeks to recover damages from CBS, his employer of 44 years, Viacom, its former parent company, Leslie Moonves, Chief Executive Officer of CBS, Sumner Redstone, Chief Executive Officer of Viacom, and Andrew Heyward, President of CBS News…for their egregious conduct toward him which constituted breach of contract, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, prima facie tort, tortious interference with contract and interference with prospective economic advantage, that have cost him significant financial loss and seriously damaged his reputation.”

The lawsuit goes on to describe the report about President Bush’s service, and says it was the political pressure on the defendants that caused them to take action against Rather and producer Mary Mapes: 

“A broad and, in many instances, well-organized attack on the authenticity of the Documents immediately followed the Broadcast, led by conservative political elements supportive of the Bush Administration.  The purpose of this attack was to deter CBS News from reporting news in a manner unfavorable to the Bush Administration, and in the process, to diminish the credibility and careers of Mr. Rather, Ms. Mapes and others at CBS News whom they considered to be opponents of the Bush Administration.”

The lawsuit describes Rather as one who “has promoted, championed, and been emblematic of journalistic independence and journalistic freedom from extraneous interference.”  It then says, “Defendents’ improper responses to the attacks on the Documents wrongfully damaged Mr. Rather and these values which he championed.”

The Defendants, according to the lawsuit, conducted a “biased investigation” into the underlying story with a “plan to pacify the White House” by offering Rather “as the public face of the story, and as a scapegoat for CBS management’s bungling of the entire episode – which, as a direct result, became known publicly as ‘Rathergate.’”

As for Viacom and Sumner Redstone’s involvement in the situation, the lawsuit says they “considered it to be in its corporate interest to curry favor with the Bush administration by diminishing Mr. Rather’s stature and reputation.  At a Viacom board meeting after the Broadcast, Mr. Redstone was reported to have become enraged that the Broadcast had hurt CBS in the eyes of the Bush administration, and exclaimed that Mr. Rather and anyone associated with him must go.  Viacom and Mr. Redstone supported, encouraged, ordered and condoned the wrongful acts by CBS described herein.”

More updates to follow as they develop.

Related:
Read the full lawsuit here