New Baltimore Sun owner and Sinclair Broadcast Group Executive Chairman David Smith has been quietly involved in a lawsuit accusing Baltimore City Public Schools of defrauding taxpayers, documents show.

Smith has had several discussions with the plaintiffs and their attorneys about the suit and is behind a corporation paying the plaintiff’s legal fees, according to documents obtained by The Baltimore Banner. All the while, Baltimore’s Fox45, Sinclair’s flagship TV station, has covered the case extensively without disclosing Smith’s role.

Jovani Patterson, now the sole plaintiff in the suit, has made numerous appearances on Fox45, discussing the lawsuit and other issues. Patterson is also the chairman of People for Elected Accountability and Civic Engagement, a political committee funded almost entirely by Smith that promotes ballot initiatives seeking to reshape how Baltimore is run and governed.

Patterson filed the lawsuit with his wife in January 2022 after several meetings with Smith and the law firm Thomas & Libowitz, according to a recent deposition of Patterson.

“He’s a partner in it,” Patterson said in an interview Thursday of Smith’s ties to the case.

The story continues at The Baltimore Banner: Sinclair exec, Sun owner David Smith behind lawsuit against Baltimore schools

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