Klan Leader Ordered to Pay TV Crew $120,000

F O R T  W A Y N E, Ind., Jan. 4 -- A Ku Klux Klan leader was ordered to pay $120,000 to two television journalists who said he detained them and stole interview tapes because he was afraid their report would include criticism of the Klan.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Roger B. Cosbey ordered Klansman JeffBerry to pay $60,000 each to reporter George M. Sells IV andcamerawoman Heidi Thiel of WHAS-TV in Louisville, Ky. Cosbey ruledlast month and the order was made public Wednesday.

Berry is also charged with theft, conspiracy to commitintimidation, and conspiracy to commit robbery with a deadlyweapon.

Sells and Thiel went to Berry’s home in November 1999 tointerview him about a rally of his Butler, Ind.-based group, theAmerican Knights of the Ku Klux Klan.

After the interview, Berry asked whether they would talk to BradThompson, a former member of Berry’s group who later denounced theKlan. When Sells said they would, Berry decided he no longer wantedto be part of the story and demanded the interview tapes, thelawsuit said.

Religious Freedom?

Berry and several of his Klan followers allegedly blocked thedoors so they could not leave for 20 to 30 minutes. At one point aKlansman entered the house with a shotgun and pumped it, thelawsuit said.

The journalists gave up the tapes and were allowed to leave.

Berry, 47, of Newville, Ind. said he intended to appeal thejudge’s decision. He had sought to dismiss the complaint, allegingthe Southern Poverty Law Center, which represented Sells and Thiel,had conspired with the news crew and Thompson to deprive him of hisfreedom of religion.

Berry did not immediately return a telephone call seekingcomment.

The 6,000 active Klansmen in the United States are split intomore than 50 branches, and Berry’s group has the largestmembership, though an exact number is not available, according tothe center.

The center has won millions of dollars in past lawsuits againstthe Klan.

In August, Cosbey ordered Berry to pay $2,481 to Sells and Thielfor not giving a deposition in the lawsuit. Berry said he was toosick to attend, but Cosbey said he did not prove it.