Anti-gay heavy metal preacher files lawsuit against Rachel Maddow

Attorney Larry Klayman, the founder of Judicial Watch and Freedom Watch, has filed a lawsuit against NBC, MSNBC, Rachel Maddow and The Minnesota Independent on behalf of Bradlee Dean, head of the religious ministry You Can Run But You Cannot Hide International.

"This case is filed as a matter of principle," Klayman said. "We need more Bradlee Deans in the world and hateful left wing television commentators must be made to respect not only his mission but the law."

The lawsuit seeks in excess of $50 million in damages for false accusations and defamation. It claims that Maddow falsely accused Dean on her MSNBC show of supporting the killing of homosexuals, which harmed the "fine reputation" of himself and his ministry. The lawsuit also seeks damages from The Minnesota Independent for reporting on Dean's statements.

Dean's ministry is based in Annandale, Minnesota and centered around the Christian heavy metal band Junkyard Prophet. He had hosted a show on AM 1280 The Patriot, but the station later fired him after he aired in a six-minute song mocking African Americans and then likened President Obama to Osama bin Laden.

MSNBC and Maddow attacked Dean, according to the lawsuit, because they were trying to "destroy" Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-MN), "a Christian conservative presidential candidate who they despise and hate for her religious and political beliefs."

Bachmann has helped raise money for Dean’s youth ministry and Dean, in turn, has helped Bachmann's campaign fundraising efforts.

"Defendents NBC and MSNBC pride themselves on their marketing of anti-religious beliefs and their disparagement of people of faith, as they have sought to woo secular, atheist, leftist oriented viewer markets, given Fox News' domination of the politically conservative/libertarian/religious markets which they have had difficulty cultivating," the lawsuit states.

On her show in August 2010, Maddow played a clip of Dean saying Muslim nations that execute gays are more moral than American Christians.

"Muslims are calling for the executions of homosexuals in America," he said on AM 1280 the Patriot. "This just shows you they themselves are upholding the laws that are even in the Bible of the Judeo-Christian God, but they seem to be more moral than even the American Christians do, because these people are livid about enforcing their laws. They know homosexuality is an abomination."

After playing the clip Maddow noted that Dean "later clarified that he didn't really mean to sanction murder of gay people, he said, quote, 'We have never and will never call for the execution of homosexuals."

The lawsuit against Maddow claims she "begrudgingly mentioned" the disclaimer in a way that suggested it was disingenuous and insincere.

She also played a clip of Dean saying on the radio that, "On average, they [homosexuals] molest 117 people before they’re found out."

Watch video, via Towleroad, below:

Updated July 27, 2011 at 5:17pm EST.