Don’t mess with Glenn Beck, because he’ll get blazing mad.
That’s the message the outspoken conservative television and radio host is sending out loud and clear to former TheBlaze CEO Chris Balfe.
In a lawsuit filed in Dallas, Texas, Beck accuses the former head of his entertainment and news network of breach of contract, general mismanagement, breach of fiduciary duty and fraud, which cost his company millions, according to LawNewz.com.
Beck and Balfe first met in 1997, and the pair worked together for over 10 years.
Balfe went on to serve as COO of Mercury Radio Arts and was CEO of TheBlaze, but he left in December 2014 to start his own company, Red Seat Ventures. Mercury Radio Arts is now named as the plaintiff in the lawsuit, which requests a jury trial.
The complaint alleges that between 2009 and 2014, Balfe’s compensation totaled in excess of $13 million. It also accuses the former CEO of “fraudulently causing Mercury to sign an unnecessary lease thereby taking on a $20 million liability.” The paperwork states that Mercury currently has a lease for the entire 12th floor of Five Bryant Park in New York City.
“Balfe’s management shortcomings infected his entire tenure,” the lawsuit states, accusing him of “never establishing key performance indicators, goals, objectives or basic processes to judge success or failure.
“He never documented workflow. He failed to implement proper governance. And he never implemented proper financial reporting and controls,” were further flaws, according to the legal filing.
“In short, Balfe was a terrible executive, whose mismanagement — including deliberate mismanagement — did substantial harm to Mercury.”
Beck commented on the lawsuit on his website Monday, saying, “You have all heard me over the last couple of years describing how hard a time it has been.
“Between being sick, turning over my company, etc. … It culminates in a lawsuit that we filed Friday in Dallas between MRA and the former President,” the erstwhile Fox News host wrote. “I am embarrassed and saddened it has come to this. It is an ongoing legal matter so you will not hear me speak of this often but as always, I want you to hear it from me.”
In a statement to LawNewz.com via his attorney, Balfe said in response, “I feel terrible for Glenn and I hope he finds the help that he needs.”
In May, SiriusXM suspended Beck‘s syndicated show after a guest suggested citizens would have to take means that may not be legal in order to get Donald Trump out of office and Beck appeared to advocate doing harm to the GOP nominee.
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.