Florida fund sues New York Times over Israel coverage, demands records

By Reuters News

NEW YORK, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Florida's state-administered public pension fund sued the New York Times NYT.N on Wednesday, demanding to review its books and records to determine whether the newspaper is adhering to its editorial standards in reporting about Israel.

According to a complaint filed in a New York state court in Manhattan, the Times' "repeated publication of materially false or baseless factual assertions" supports a reasonable inference that the Times' board of directors has caused journalistic standards to be "weaponized within the company to serve the personal agendas of unchecked editors."

The case is based on part on claims by an unnamed newsroom whistleblower who said the Times brushed off her repeated complaints about a widespread culture of anti-Israel bias, including being told by a human resources representative that she might "go find a place whose values align with yours."

A Times spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The complaint was filed by the State Board of Administration of Florida on behalf of the Florida Retirement System Trust Fund, which is a Times shareholder. It is represented by Florida's Republican Attorney General James Uthmeier, the National Jewish Advocacy Center and other lawyers.

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