Sherrod: I Will Definitely Sue Andrew Breitbart

Ousted Agriculture Dept. official says she is planning legal action over misleading video that got her fired

Shirley Sherrod, who was ousted from her Agriculture Department post after an out-of-context video of her speaking at an NAACP conference was posted last week by Andrew Breitbart, says she intends to sue him.

During an appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists conference in San Diego on Thursday, Sherrod said she “will definitely do it” when asked if she had plans to sue Breitbart.

“He had to know he was targeting me,” Sherrod said in a video of her NABJ conference posted by Politico.

Exactly what Sherrod plans to sue Breitbart for is unclear. Sherrod was unable to be reached for further comment Thursday. Breitbart did not return an e-mail and phone call seeking comment.

In the video clip Breitbart originally posted on his website, Sherrod, who is black, appeared to admit to not helping a white farmer who had solicited aid.

The full video, posted by the NAACP, shows Sherrod was relaying a story about how she had gotten over the death of her father — the victim of a racially motivated killing — by eventually helping the same white farmer.

Breitbart eventually corrected his post, but did not offer an apology.

“At this point, he hasn’t apologized,” Sherrod told the NABJ convention. “And I don’t want it. He’ll hear from me.”

According to Politico, Sherrod also blamed Fox News “for pushing the story” and linking to Breitbart’s site.

“It was not all media. It was Fox,” she said. “I don't want to be interviewed by Fox. I refuse to be interviewed by Fox.”

President Obama addressed the incident on an appearance on "The View," which aired Thursday.

Obama called her a "wonderful woman" and that the "24-7 media cycle" generated a "phony controversy" that led to an overreaction by many people, including those in his administration.

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