Two legislators Montana tries to start a class action against the 'Three cups of tea' author Greg Mortenson, stating that they have been deceived by buying the best-selling book of the Mortenson and donated to his charity based on lies they found their true.
The complaint filed Thursday in Federal Court in Missoula is the latest benefits reporting by "60 Minutes" and author Jon Krakauer last month that alleged that Mortenson lied in ?Three cups of tea? how he became involved in the construction of schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The reports also questioned if Mortenson have benefited financially from his charitable organization, Central Asia Institute, and CAI built the number of schools it claimed.
The complaint, which indicate that only one side of a legal argument, alleges Mortenson and CAI induced by State Rep. Michele Reinhart Missoula to buy the book and the REP. John price of Great Falls to make a donation to the charity. Reinhart and prize claim Mortenson and charity engaged in the fraud, deception, breach of contract and racketeering statute normally used to continue the hoodlums.
Democratic legislators are claim class action status, saying that the prosecution could potentially be joined by millions of people who bought books of Mortenson, his speech or donated to his charity.
"They have bought the book because of its heart-wrenching story he says is true," said Great Falls Attorney Alexander Blewett, who represents the Reinhart and price. "If people had known all of this has been produced, they have not given the money.".
Mortenson was at his Bozeman home awaiting word on the question of whether he could safely undergo surgery to repair a hole in his heart, according to a statement by her doctor posted on the website of the Institute of Central Asia.
Anne Beyersdorfer, a family friend Mortenson who runs the charity in absence of Mortenson Agency, told Associated Press that officials at the CAI have not seen the complaint and it could not rule on the details. But, she says, Mortenson has done nothing wrong and he is eager to rebut the charges against him in his State of health improves.
"It is low, its rate of oxygen is low and is not well," said Beyersdorfer. "It is not able to speak because of his health problems, but it will (be) ready to tell his version of the story, which is very important."
Mortenson has previously denied any wrongdoing, although he admitted some events in his book have been compressed over different periods of time. CAI has promised complete transparency and posted years of financial statements on its Web site.
Reinhart heard Mortenson to speak at the University of Montana in 2007 and bought "three cups of tea" in 2009. Price heard a presentation by Mortenson and CAI to Great Falls in 2009 and has made a donation "relying on the truth of his statements," according to the complaint.
Neither immediately returned calls for comment. Blewett, their lawyer, is the father of an another democratic State legislator, Senator Anders Blewett.
The applicants ask a judge to rule that Mortenson and CAI violated Federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, known as RICO also known. They made the RICO claim because Price gave CAI a second donation after receiving a call for tenders by mail, Alexander Blewett said constitutes mail fraud.
The claim of racketeering allows claimants to seek triple that amount Mortenson and CAI have made donations, speeches, and sales of books.
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