Breitbart News, Project Veritas sued for defamation over video recorded in Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. — An Orlando attorney has filed a defamation lawsuit against the website Breitbart News and another organization over a video that was secretly filmed in Orlando in 2015.

A 66-page complaint was filed in federal court on Friday.

It’s the first step in a lawsuit against Project Veritas and Breitbart.

On its Facebook page, Project Veritas said its mission is to investigate and expose corruption "In both public and private institutions in order to achieve a more ethical and transparent society."

The complaint centers on a video that was recorded in 2015 at a hotel bar in Orlando involving Steve Wentz, the president of a Kansas teacher’s union, who was in town for a conference.

It appears to show him saying he would abuse a student.

Wentz’s attorney said the video was taken out of context and edited in such a way that made him appear violent and dishonest.

“He was totally made into somebody he's not. He was tricked and set up,” said attorney Cynthia Conlin.

The lawsuit alleges that a conversation began about using “tough love” with students. 

Wentz, according to the complaint, was explaining to the undercover Project Veritas reporter about a time when he used “tough love” to connect to a student.

Wentz claimed there was never any violence between the two.

Years later, Wentz claimed the student hugged Wentz and said it was the best that ever happened to him.

She said the video was secretly recorded without his permission by someone acting as a teacher.

She said that person, Allison Maass, actually worked for Project Veritas and had political motives.

“It appeared to be part of an overall motive to discredit teacher unions,” said Conlin.

Breitbart, a right-wing news organization is also named in the lawsuit.

“They did include written content. They included their own story written by their own reporter,” Conlin said.

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They’re fighting for punitive damages and any money Project Veritas made off of the video.

Wentz would “would like to be whole again,” Conlin said.

Project Veritas released a statement that said, "We just received the complaint and still haven't even had time to read it because of a major story we are about to release. We don't know which one of Mr. Wentz's statements that are recorded on video he is claiming he didn't say."

Breitbart News did not respond to Channel 9's request for comment.

Cox Media Group