Mendte sues the Inky after house arrest June 4, 2009

Fresh off house arrest, former CBS3 anchor Larry Mendte is suing the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Also involved in the suit is Inqy columnists Michael Klein and Jonathan Storm and retired Daily News columnist Jill Porter.

The suit alleges that the three columnists put Mendte in a negative light and prevented him from salvaging his broadcasting career. He says Klein and former co-anchor Alycia Lane formed a close friendship that, in essence, distorted some facts in his reporting. The inaccuracies, the suit says, caused the district attorney to up the charges from misdemeanors to felonies.

Mendte is seeking $50,000 in damages.

Meanwhile, Lane is still in the process of suing Mendte, CBS3 and Daily News gossiper Dan Gross.