Crashgate Couple’s Big Journey

Tareq and Michaele Salahi didn’t become national celebrities until they decided to (allegedly) gate-crash a White House state dinner, but they were apparently well-known around Washington, D.C., for relentless self-promotion and nasty lawsuits.

One of those cases involved a concert with Journey and an accompanying video to promote an event called America’s Polo Cup, part of Jamestown, Va.’s 400th anniversary.

The couple’s affiliated charity, Journey for the Cure, racked up complaints of unpaid bills and tax irregularities, according to the Washington Post, and the couple sued publicist Steve Winter for $65,000 to cover their travel costs to shoot the video with the band.

Winter reportedly agreed to work for the Salahis, who promptly went behind his back to set up competing media deals and stiffed Winter for half of what he was owed, according to the paper.

But before Winter could sue, the Salahis sued him for “losing the original outtakes of their Journey video,” according to the Post. The video, obtained by the Post, shows the couple surrounded by Journey. The couple and the band try to say in unison, “Happy birthday America! It’s time to rock America like it’s never been rocked. Woo!”

An attorney for Michaele Salahi reportedly told a Falls Church, Va., court the video was worth $1 million. The judge in the case reportedly threw out both cases – Winter’s as well as the Salahi’s – with Winter expected to appeal.