An RTE senior editor is threatening to sue President Obama's inauguration committee for emotional distress after he was unable to gain access to one of the inaugural balls in Washington, D.C. Joe Zefran, editor of RTE online at RTE.ie since February 2007, told the Sunday Tribune in Dublin that he purchased eight tickets for $250 to the neighborhood inauguration ball. Zefran, who was attending the celebrations in a personal capacity, said because he purchased the tickets so late, he was required by the inauguration committee to pick up the tickets in person. Zefran said when he got to where he was supposed to collect the tickets, there was no collection point available. Without tickets, Zefran and his friends were forced to spend the evening at a nearby restaurant instead of a glamorous ball. Zefran told the Sunday Tribune that there was "no accountability" at all. "I have officially filed a disputes claim with my credit card company so they will be contacting me with an update soon. If that is not successful, I will file a lawsuit with the added expenses of our hair and outfit expenditures as well as emotional distress damages," he said. In preparation for the ball, Zefran spent a substantial amount of money on the rental of a tuxedo for the event. He also spent $70 on a hair cut. He is seeking a full refund for these expenses and the cost of the eight tickets. Zefran mentioned that other people suffered similar distress regarding inauguration ball tickets, and he may also file a class action lawsuit. "I'd have to contact a lawyer who practices in D.C., and pull up the receipts for the outfits and hair, the receipts for the tickets, and probably identify an appropriate amount for emotional distress," he told the Tribune. Zefran didn't respond to the Irish Voice for an interview.