Sinclair chairman broke restraining order and allegedly threatened neighbor
The executive chairman of the Sinclair television group has run into trouble at courts in two states for his alleged conduct during disputes with neighbours.
David D Smith was temporarily barred from contacting a tenant on land that he owns in Maryland after he was accused of making threats, which he denies. He was separately found in contempt of court by a judge in Maine for breaching a restraining order.
Smith, 67, chairs the board of Sinclair Broadcasting, whose ownership of local television stations around the US has this week come under renewed scrutiny after many of its presenters read from identical scripts echoing Donald Trumps attacks on the news media.
In a telephone interview, Smith denied wrongdoing. He said the tenant in Maryland was a dishonest radical who refused to vacate his property despite being offered a generous payout. He described the dispute in Maine as a very common conflict in the area.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/apr/11/sinclair-chairman-david-d-smith-neighbors-disputes