O'Reilly Sues Facebook Poster for $5 Million

Bill O'Reilly is seeking no less than $5 million against a former New Jersey lawmaker who detailed, on Facebook, an account of his former girlfriend's claims that the former Fox News star allegedly sexually harassed her.

CNN reports that O'Reilly's attorneys filed a summons in a state court in New York on Friday accusing Michael Panter, a Democrat who served in the New Jersey General Assembly for four years, of "making defamatory and false statements in a publicly-available social media post."

O'Reilly's attorneys said he is seeking no less than $5 million for Panter's post over the "the public hatred, ridicule, disgrace, and permanent harm to his professional and personal reputations as a result" that it has caused.

In his post, Panter said he'd dated a woman who settled a lawsuit, including a non-disclosure agreement, with O'Reilly.

"I read a blurb today that referenced her being bound by a non-disclosure agreement," wrote Panter. "However, I hear O'Reilly spinning his falsehoods almost daily. This week he again said he did nothing wrong, while suggesting he's been persecuted and had very few complaints "to Human Resources" during his decades at Fox. Bill should be aware that not everyone is bound by a non-disclosure ... I am not."

Panter also in his post spoke of the late night phone calls she said got from O'Reilly, and that she'd told him the Fox News host often asked her to go out with him.

"My ex's career was largely dependent on staying in O'Reilly's good graces," Panter said on Facebook. "For that reason, she was always hesitant to tell me some details — likely out of fear than I could jeopardize her career by becoming involved. Sometimes information would slip out."

Also, Panter claimed that O'Reilly got other Fox News executives, including former co-President Bill Shine, to push his ex for information on yet another woman who had also accused him of sexual harassment.

O'Reilly has vowed to fight back after a New York Times report last weekend about his $32 million settlement with another woman who'd accused him of sexual misconduct, and said there were no human relations claims filed against him.

Panter, though, told CNN that it was O'Reilly's arguments that persuaded him to make his Facebook post.

"When I read that, I picture Vladimir Putin defending his presidency by saying there have been no complaints to the KGB about him," Panter told CNN.