Citing the costs of defending itself in a $100-million libel suit, Roberts Rinehart, publisher of The Committee: Political Assassination in Northern Ireland by Sean McPhilemy, which prompted the suit, has been forced to downsize the company as it waits for a ruling. The book charges prominent Northern Irish politicians and businessmen with being part of a secret political murder conspiracy (News, May 24).
Jack Van Zadt, CEO of Roberts Rinehart, told PW the company was laying off eight employees, cutting its list by 40% and its general overhead by about 50%. Van Zadt said the list will be cut from about "60 titles a year to something in the 30s." The company has moved into smaller offices in the same office building in Niwot, Colo.
"We have libel insurance, but the expenses are still considerable," said Van Zadt of the year-old suit. However, he was adamant that the changes are only for the interim. "We're trying to cope. But we totally believe in the book. It's made us investigators and we're convinced that we will win," he said. Van Zadt noted that the paperback edition is selling "faster than the hardcover" and that there "is serious interest in the book from filmmakers."
