Mets Owners Ask Judge To Dismiss Bernie Madoff Lawsuit

Mets owners late Thursday asked U.S. District Court Judge Jed Rakoff "to dimiss a lawsuit by the court-appointed trustee seeking to recover money for victims" of Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme. Attorneys for Mets Owner Fred Wilpon and CEO Saul Katz argued that Madoff trustee Irving Picard "failed to prove they were 'willfully blind'" to Madoff's fraud. Picard in a seperate filing asked the court to order Wilpon and Katz "to turn over $83.3 million in fictitious profits." The legal wrangling comes approximately "two months before the Mets owners are expected to square off" with Picard in a jury trial (WSJ.com, 1/27).