Kalamazoo, MI - Consumer advocate Ralph Nader is criticizing a cattlemen's lawsuit against Oprah Winfrey as a frivolous "slap suit" that underscores the need for legal reform.
Speaking at a conference for non-profit groups in Kalamazoo today, Nader says "slap suits" have a chilling effect on free speech in Texas and 13 other states where they're permitted.
Nader challenges state lawmakers to ban the litigation.
Nader says Winfrey was a "perfect" target for the cattlemen's suit because high-profile celebrities are unlikely to counter "slap suits" with so-called "slap-back" litigation.
The civil suit under way in Amarillo, Texas, claims the Chicago-based talk show host defamed beef during a program on "mad cow" disease. Cattlemen say Winfrey cost them millions of dollars when beef prices fell.
Nader also criticized the cattlemen, saying they benefit from "a lot of federal tax dollars hidden in the Department of Agriculture (that) subsidize beef producers to say beef is good for you."
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