Gianfranco Fini, Italy’’s speaker of parliament, is suing a newspaper owned by Silvio Berlusconi’s brother for threatening “red light” revelations about him.

Il Giornale had suggested that Fini, the 57-year-old speaker of parliament’’s lower house and a former foreign minister, should be kicked out of the People of Liberty (PdL) party for flirting with the left-wing opposition, reports The Times.

Giulia Bongiorno, Fini’s lawyer, who is also a PdL deputy, said that Fini was suing Vittorio Feltri, the Editor of Il Giornale.

In recent weeks Fini has been under personal attack by Paolo Berlusconi-owned part, as part of a campaign to deflect attention from the sex scandals involving Berlusconi that have cost him the support of the powerful Catholic church.