Lobbyist Sues NYT Over McCain Affair Allegations

Washingon lobbyist Vicki Iseman filed a $27 million defamation lawsuit today against the New York Times for running an article that she says falsely implied an affair with John McCain, the Virginia Lawyers Weekly reports. The February article said McCain aides worried in 1999 that their relationship had become romantic. The newspaper stood by the story today.

Iseman's lawyers contend that while the article didn't explicitly state the two were having an affair, it left a clear impression that they were. Iseman and McCain have denied it, which the story stated. The lawsuit calls the article part of an "attack on Senator McCain" by the Times and accused the newspaper of sacrificing Iseman as "collateral damage.” A Times statement insisted the the piece is "true and accurate."