A candidate running for county executive is suing organizers of a public forum after he was excluded from an event at which two of his competitors touted their platforms.

Mithun Banerjee of Silver Spring filed a lawsuit Wednesday in Montgomery County Circuit Court naming 15 defendants, including the Montgomery County Renters Alliance Inc. and Montgomery Community Media.

Defendants said the lawsuit has no merit.

Banerjee, a Democrat, argued in the suit that the Renters Alliance and Montgomery Community Media, as nonprofits with tax-exempt status, are prohibited from participating in political campaigns for or against a candidate.

He also alleged “possible racism” and “possible discrimination” because, according to the lawsuit, Banerjee is a landlord, Asian-American and an immigrant. He asked for $870,170 in damages, an amount equal to the maximum limit on public funds per candidate per election.

In an interview Thursday, Banerjee said he’s not an establishment candidate but he “expected a fair campaign.”

“I’m not treated fairly,” Banerjee said. “They violated the federal guidelines.”

‘Frivolous’

At the Wednesday forum — hosted by the Renters Alliance and held at Montgomery Community Media’s studio in Derwood — Democratic candidates Will Jawando and Andrew Friedson sparred over high rent and housing costs.

The debate was open to candidates for county executive who had received at least $250,000 in campaign donations or funding through the county’s public campaign financing program.

A third qualifying candidate, Democratic Councilmember Evan Glass, did not attend because he was sick.

Banerjee has filed paperwork indicating his intent to use the county’s public campaign financing system but has not filed reports sharing how much money he has raised, according to the state’s campaign finance reporting system.

In a statement, the Renters Alliance called Banerjee’s lawsuit “frivolous.”

It said he was excluded because he failed to meet the fundraising requirements and “after a good faith effort on our part to explain the eligibility rules for the debate.”

The Renters Alliance said it will have no further comment on the matter.

Montgomery Community Media said in a statement that as a nonprofit public access media organization it provides facilities, platforms and technical support “so that community organizations can host civic discussions of public interest.”

It also noted that it doesn’t “select the participants or influence the content presented during the forum.”

Banner reporter Ginny Bixby was one of four local journalists invited to ask questions of the candidates at the forum.

Ginny Bixby contributed to this report.