The Everett Leader Herald, a Massachusetts newspaper that has been publishing for 139 years, will shut down within a week and pay $1.1 million as part of a settlement of a defamation lawsuit with Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria, The Boston Globe reported on Monday.
The settlement avoids a trial that was scheduled to begin in January.
DeMaria filed the lawsuit three years ago after he said the Leader Herald, in an effort to remove him from office, published a series of false articles claiming he was involved in kickback schemes and extortion, even though the newspaper knew the claims were not true.
According to the lawsuit, the newspaper's owner, Matthew Philbin, and its publisher and editor, Joshua Resnek, contacted each other over email about their desire to discredit the mayor.
DeMaria’s attorney, Jeff Robbins, told the Globe that in an era of increasing distrust of the media, the newspaper's actions were particularly dangerous and harmed the role of the free press as an important part of democracy.
Philbin and Resnek will have to pay the $1.1 million within seven days, according to Boston 25 News.
In the lawsuit, Robbins said that in addition to damage to his reputation, DeMaria suffered serious emotional injury due to the false articles.
Robbins stated that DeMaria's father even told the mayor that "if what I’m reading is true, you’re not my son," the Globe reported. DeMaria also incurred chest pains and depression due to the impact on his reputation, according to the lawsuit.