Seattle spent $3 million trying to save Sonics

The Associated Press | • Published August 29, 2008

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SEATTLE — The city of Seattle spent nearly $3 million on the lawsuit trying to prevent the Sonics from moving to Oklahoma City.

Documents obtained by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer in a public disclosure request show expenses of $2.9 million. Of that $2.3 million went in legal fees, most to the K&L Gates law firm in Seattle where former Sen. Slade Gorton charges $685 hour.

Other charges include more than $61,000 on expert witnesses and $17,000 to the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce for document copying fees. The money will come out of Seattle’s claims fund. Mayor’s spokesman Robert Mak says the cost would be absorbed by the $45 million from owners in the settlement that allowed the basketball team to play the next NBA season in Oklahoma City.