any legal redress for the arrogant bastard, wwh wonders
I doubt it, wwh. A statement is not libelous unless it is published and the 'arrogant bastard' was the author of his own libel when he broke the story to the newspapers. If he had simply asked the paper for a reversal of the $140 charge, no-one would have been the wiser. I suspect his outrage was less compelling than his rage for publicity, and he got exactly what he bargained for.