The former US vice president and co-founder of Current TV is being sued for selling the network to Qatar by the executive who said he came up with the idea.

According to Hollywood Reporter, which broke the story, a lawsuit was filed this week in San Francisco on behalf of John Terenzio, a media consultant and TV producer.

Terenzio said that in late 2011, he presented a proposal for Al Jazeera titled “Path to US Distribution” that included acquiring Current TV as a potential strategy.

His proposal made it to Current TV’s board of directors, and there was “mutual understanding that Terenzio would be compensated if Current TV utilized his idea to consummate a sale to Al Jazeera.”

But according to Politico:

Terenzio says he was cut out of the deal when Gore, who initially opposed the idea, decided to go through with it after having a “change of heart.”

“Gore was adamant in his rejection of the proposal to sell his liberal, environmentally friendly network to the oil-rich Quataris who owned Al Jazeera,” the lawsuit claims. “Apparently, Gore had a change of heart.”

The $5 million Terenzio is seeking from Current is 1 percent of the total $500 million the company received from Al Jazeera.

Thoughts?

Credit: Photo by JD Lasica