Lawsuit against Aspen Daily News publisher and former co-owner dismissed

After Greg Adler sued David Cook and Spencer McKnight in June for alleged secret negotiations with his son Gabriel over his stake in the newspaper’s parent company, a Pitkin County District Court judge has dismissed the lawsuit. 

Wednesday’s order officially granted a motion to dismiss filed by Aspen Daily News Publisher David Cook and former co-owner Spencer McKnight, along with their respective companies. The motion was granted on the grounds that Adler was neither a party to the agreement nor an intended third-party beneficiary. The court also found Cook and McKnight entitled to attorney fees. 

Jeffrey Springer, attorney for Cook and Knight, told The Aspen Times that it was “one of the most frivolous cases” he has ever seen. 

“The judge granted our motion to dismiss, finding that there was no merit to the claim, and that in fact it was frivolous,” Springer said. “We’re going to obtain attorney fees and pursue collection of the attorney fees against the person who brought the claim, Mr. Adler.”

The order describes Adler’s claim as “frivolous, but not vexatious.”

The dispute at hand began in 2023 when, after the death of his stepmother, Adler’s son Gabriel inherited a roughly one-third stake in Paperbag Media, the former parent company of Aspen Daily News. Gabriel was in his early 20s and allegedly struggling with addiction, according to the original complaint. 

The following year, Cook and McKnight made an agreement with Gabriel to purchase his share of the company. Under the agreement, Gabriel would receive $215,000 upfront and a promissory note for three additional payments of roughly $77,114 due annually for three years. 

But when it came time to make the additional payments, Cook and McKnight struggled to obtain the funds, according to court documents. In October 2025, Gabriel agreed to accept $34,900, rather than the originally agreed upon $77,114, and the following month, Gabriel offered to resolve the final payment obligation for $22,000, which Cook and McKnight accepted.

Adler argued via his lawsuit that he was entitled to be notified of negotiations, pointing to a notice provision in the agreement that listed both his and Gabriel’s addresses. 

The judge rejected that interpretation, with the order stating that the agreement “identifies Gabriel — not plaintiff — as the sole seller and contracting party.”  

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While Adler’s address was interpreted as a secondary point of contact for his son, it did not grant him independent contractual rights.

The judge also dismissed Adler’s claim of “extreme and outrageous conduct.” While the order said that the behavior alleged in the complaint was “perhaps unscrupulous,” it found that Cook and Knight’s actions fell short of the conduct required for that claim. 

“We are disappointed with the Court’s ruling, but we are reviewing it closely and evaluating our options,” said Attorney Sara Bodner, representing Adler, in a statement to The Aspen Times. 

Hoffmann Media Group acquired the Aspen Daily News in January. McKnight has since left the company, while Cook remains publisher.