The Judith Regan-HarperCollins dust-up gets even more delicious: Now there's a telephonic listener-inner! Sometimes these people just find each other

When last we left former ReganBooks publisher Judith Regan, she was being escorted unceremoniously out of the building by security people of News Corp. subsidiary HarperCollins Books, allegedly for anti-Semitic remarks, said remarks having been her alleged complaint that a "Jewish cabal" was out to get her. As a matter of fact, there appear to have been a number of people in the company who were out to get her, and who are Jewish, and they apparently ran a-tattling straight to that wizard of sensitivity and tolerance Rupert Murdoch, the master of News Corp.

The latest development (as reported by the AP's Hillel Italie)--and I swear, you couldn't make this up--is that Ms. Regan's lawyer now has proof that his client never uttered the damnable phrase "Jewish cabal." The proof? Her "temporary assistant" was listening in on the phone call and swears the words were never uttered!

Um, er . . . huh????????????????

Attorney Bert Fields issued a statement Friday saying that Regan's temporary assistant, Carmen del Toro, had called his office to say she had listened in on the conversation and backed Regan's claim that she never said "Jewish cabal," only "cabal."

Now from the fact that Ms. del Toro only recently made this information known to Ms. Regan's attorney, we may reasonably infer that she wasn't listening in with Ms. Regan's knowledge, let alone consent. Which would mean that she was, to put it bluntly, eavesdropping.

Meanwhile, we're told that "News Corp. based its allegations on notes taken by [HarperCollins attorney Mark] Jackson during the phone call." Jackson, for the sake of clarity, is one of the HarperCollins Jews who would be part of the Jewish cabal if there was one. So it's the eavesdropping assistant, with presumably no ax to grind (unless perhaps there is some connection to the "temporariness"--a week--of her HarperCollins career) vs. the note-taking Jewish-cabal member, with Rupert the Just presiding as judge.

Oh yes, Ms. del Toro "was not immediately available for comment Friday."

Sheesh!

Witness Defends Regan in 'Cabal' Dispute
By HILLEL ITALIE
AP
Updated:2006-12-23 11:13:56

NEW YORK (Dec. 23)--A lawyer for fired publisher Judith Regan says a new witness has emerged to dispute allegations that she called four industry veterans a "Jewish cabal" conspiring against her.

Attorney Bert Fields issued a statement Friday saying that Regan's temporary assistant, Carmen del Toro, had called his office to say she had listened in on the conversation and backed Regan's claim that she never said "Jewish cabal," only "cabal."

"We now have a witness saying that she never said it," Fields told The Associated Press. "So it is defamatory and to false to say she said it."

Regan was fired Dec. 15 after a telephone argument with HarperCollins attorney Mark Jackson. According to News Corp., Regan accused four perceived foes--Jackson, HarperCollins CEO Jane Friedman, HarperCollins Executive Editor David Hirshey and longtime literary agent Esther Newberg--of being a "Jewish cabal."

News Corp. based its allegations on notes taken by Jackson during the phone call.

Ms. del Toro, whose weeklong assignment with ReganBooks has since ended, was not immediately available for comment Friday. HarperCollins spokeswoman Erin Crum confirmed that Ms. del Toro had been employed, but added: "We respect Bert's loyalty to his client (Regan), but unfortunately he continues to be terribly misinformed about the facts. "

Fields, a Hollywood attorney whose many clients have included Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg, also said Regan will likely sue for breach of contract--and possibly libel--right after the new year.

Since 1994, Regan had headed the lucrative and risque ReganBooks imprint at HarperCollins, News Corp's publishing division. But her standing was badly shaken last month after News Corp. head Rupert Murdoch canceled her reviled O.J. Simpson book and television interview, for which the former football star was to have discussed how we would have killed his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ronald Goldman.

Simpson was acquitted of murder in the 1994 slayings. But civil jurors awarded $33.5 million to the families of Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson. Goldman's father, Fred Goldman, sued Simpson on Tuesday, seeking any money from the abandoned project.