The First Casualty Of Dan Snyder's Dumbass Libel Suit Might Be Dan Snyder's Dumbass Lawyer

Failed journalist and wretched lawyer Dave Donovan announced today that he's leaving his job as Chief Operating Officer of the Redskins to return to the law firm whence he came (and where, ostensibly, lawyers can actually convince clients not to file dumbass lawsuits). Donovan attributes his decision to "personal reasons." Lame. Personal reasons could mean anything. They could mean that Dan Snyder and Donovan disagreed over a legal matter. They could mean that things got weird after a game of adult Twister. Who knows?

You may remember Donovan as the man who, in his role as general counsel for the Redskins, sent a silly letter to the New York-based investment firm that manages the parent company of the Washington City Paper. (Translation: he sent a letter to people who are at least two degrees removed from the newsroom of the Washington City Paper but who have all the money.) In the letter, Donovan raised the idea that the image of a be-horned Snyder was anti-Semitic. He also threatened to club the City Paper into submission with Dan Snyder's wallet. From the silly letter:

We presume that defending such litigation would not be a rational strategy for an investment fund such as yours. Indeed, the cost of litigation would presumably quickly outstrip the asset value of the Washington City Paper.

Also not a rational strategy: suing a New York investment firm that manages the parent company of a DC-based publication. By the time Snyder et al. wised up and had the dumbass libel suit re-filed in DC, the DC Council had passed a law to protect news organizations against lawsuits designed to intimidate journalists from writing about public figures. Now that's some sharp lawyering, Donovan.

COO Dave Donovan leaving Redskins [The Washington Post]