Judith Regan, who was fired last year by her former employer, News Corp, filed a lawsuit today against Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. and its HarperCollins unit. The reason for the lawsuit? Regan claims that she is the victim of a "deliberate smear campaign" designed to protect Republican Presidential candidate Rudolph Giuliani.

Amongst claims in the lawsuit, Regan says that News Corp. attempted to destroy her reputation because she had damaging information about former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik. Such information would be damaging to Giuliani and his presidential campaign.

In the filing, Regan stated:

"The smear campaign was necessary to advance News Corp.'s political agenda, which has long centered on protecting Rudy Giuliani's presidential ambitions."

Regan was fired in December 2006 after backing O.J. Simpson's book, "If I Did It." Murdoch cancelled publication of the book and a Fox television special which was to star Simpson, stating that it was an "ill-considered project." HarperCollins also shut down the ReganBooks unit in January.

Regan explains in the court filing how she built up a "publishing and media juggernaut" after leaving Simon & Schuster to join News Corp. in 1994.

She says that News Corp. set her up as a scapegoat for the O.J. Simpson scandal, and then fired her without just cause, making up a number of stories that indicated she was a "disgraceful and unethical publisher."

Regan also claims to have had a "personal relationship with" Bernard Kerik, Giuliani's nomination for the Head of the Department of Homeland Security. Regan said that an unnamed News Corp. executive told her to withhold information and documents from investigators in their probe of Kerik, the former police commissioner.

"It is now widely accepted that one of Giuliani's major political vulnerabilities is his association with Bernard Kerik. A senior executive in the News Corp. organization told Regan that he believed she had information about Kerik that, if disclosed, would harm Giuliani's presidential campaign. This executive advised Regan to lie to, and withhold information from, investigators concerning Kerik," alleged the filing.

The corruption and deep ties to the Republican Party over at Fox News and News Corp. are only further revealed by this lawsuit.

Bernard Kerik was indicted last week by a federal grand jury on conspiracy charges and tax evasion. Giuliani's association with a now convicted criminal isn't expected to do wonders for his campaign.