De Groft chose to countersue and demanded restitution last November. This now includes an amended counterclaim that was filed last month. De Groft not only continues to stand by the belief that the Basquiat paintings are authentic, but alleges that he was made a scapegoat by OMA and has been a victim of “false statements” made by museum board chair Mark Elliott.
Elliot has publicly stated that “[De Groft] abused his position of trust, lied to anyone who questioned the provenance of the artwork, created an environment of fear and hostility amongst the staff, and brought great shame to our community by mounting an exhibition of forged works.”
Of course, De Groft contests this. He claims that the statements were defamatory and is seeking $314,246 in damages resulting from a breached contract that occurred when he was fired by the museum. In response, the OMA’s legal team “denies it committed any of the unlawful actions alleged in the amended counterclaim and denies De Groft is entitled to any of the relief sought.”
