Peter Angelos’ wife responds to lawsuit, says Orioles aren’t leaving Baltimore

Georgia Angelos allegedly made it her top priority to sell the Baltimore Orioles after her husband and longtime team owner Peter Angelos fell ill almost five years ago.

She allegedly had buyers and the approval of Major League Baseball — until the deal fell through.

The claims made last week in a Baltimore County lawsuit sent tremors through Orioles fans everywhere.

Georgia, 80, spoke out publicly Wednesday, calling the allegations that her family would ever consider moving the team “false and intentionally divisive.”

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Louis Angelos has sued his mother, Georgia, and older brother, John, over control of the team and $90 million of family assets. Louis accuses John and family attorney Chris Jones, of the firm Moore & Van Allen, in Charlotte, N.C., of working to wrest control of the team and the family fortune away from him.

“I consider Chris a friend, and Chris and his family as well as my son John and his family are owed an apology for this baseless, unfounded and defamatory Complaint,” Georgia said in a statement issued through the Orioles. “I have always believed that family disputes and concerns should remain among family members, and I deeply regret any distraction that this may have caused to our dedicated Orioles Senior Leadership Team and staff, our many community partners, and most importantly, devoted Orioles’ fans.”

Louis Angelos, 52, sued his brother and mother last week in Baltimore County Circuit Court, alleging that his father intended the two sons to share equally in control of the team and family fortune, but that John and attorney Jones have sought to grab power.

The lawsuit reveals the infighting that has gripped the family since Peter Angelos collapsed in October 2017. According to the lawsuit, he has suffered failing health and disability.

Louis claims his mother pushed to sell the Orioles two years ago, but John interfered and the deal fell through. John responded publicly to the lawsuit on Monday, also promising that the Orioles aren’t going anywhere.

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“The Orioles will forever play at Oriole Park, and at no time ever have we contemplated anything different,” he wrote in a statement issued by the team.

In addition, Louis Angelos claims his brother fed their mother “misinformation regarding both the team and Lou. He harangued her over the telephone, angrily feeding her half-truths and outright fabrications that paralyzed her with confusion, fear and indecision.”

The suit says John Angelos “co-opted” his father’s former attorney, Jones, by helping boost the career of Jones’ daughter, an aspiring country music singer named Carter Faith. John Angelos’ wife, Margaret Valentine, runs a Nashville-based music production company that took Faith under her wing, the suit says. She has performed multiple times at Camden Yards.

Baltimore County Circuit Judge John Nagle III is presiding over the case. Georgia and John Angelos are expected to file a response to the lawsuit by about the end of the month.

Meanwhile, officials with the Maryland Stadium Authority say they will continue negotiations on a long-term lease with the Orioles for Camden Yards. Last year, state officials reached an agreement to extend the current lease through December 2023.

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tim.prudente@thebaltimorebanner.com, justin.fenton@thebaltimorebanner.com

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