A front runner for appointment as the new United States Ambassador to Ireland launched a transatlantic libel action yesterday.
Mr Thomas Tracy, a billionaire businessman in California who has been closely identified with the peace process in Ireland, is taking action in the High Court in Belfast over an article in the Irish Voice newspaper published in New York.
Mr Tracy is suing the paper's editor, Mr Niall O'Dowd, the publishers, Irish Tribune Inc., Irish Voice, and the parent company, Jefferson Smurfit Group, Dublin.
He is claiming aggravated damages for libel in an article both in print and on the Internet from December 22nd on.
His solicitors are Johnsons, a Belfast firm specialising in libel cases. Before they could bring the case in Belfast, Johnsons had to obtain an order from a High Court Master for permission to issue and serve concurrent writs on Mr O'Dowd, his paper and company outside the jurisdiction at their place of business, 432 Park Avenue, New York.
Johnsons have also served similar writs in Dublin.
Mr Tracy has visited Ireland many times and is on first-name terms with leading politicians.
He is closely linked to the new administration in the White House and is being tipped to take over when President-elect George W. Bush is expected to appoint a new Ambassador to Ireland later this year.