Fiery remarks resulted in firing

NEW YORK – In an explosive telephone argument that led to her firing, publisher Judith Regan allegedly complained of a “Jewish cabal” against her in the book industry and said that Jews “should know about ganging up, finding common enemies and telling the big lie.”

A spokesman for Regan’s former employer, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp., told the Associated Press on Monday that the remarks were made during a conversation between Regan and HarperCollins attorney Mark Jackson, who took notes. At the time, the two were discussing the future of a controversial new novel about baseball star Mickey Mantle.

The spokesman, Andrew Butcher, released the comments in response to a threatened libel suit from Regan’s legal representative, Hollywood attorney Bert Fields, who had called earlier reports of inappropriate remarks “completely untrue” and added that the publisher “didn’t have an anti-Semitic bone in her body.”

Since 1994, Regan had headed the ReganBooks imprint at News Corp.’s HarperCollins. She was fired Friday.

The allegations first emerged earlier Monday when the New York Times, citing two unnamed News Corp. officials, referred to unspecified anti-Semitic comments.

Regan, one of the book world’s most successful and temperamental publishers, reportedly had a long history of tension with HarperCollins Chief Executive Officer Jane Friedman even as Murdoch supported her. But last month, Murdoch canceled “If I Did It,” her planned O.J. Simpson book and Fox TV interview.

Regan’s imprint has published works by Spokane writer Jess Walter, including his latest novel, “The Zero,” which was nominated for a National Book Award.