Law is a strange business indeed.
I had the privilege of representing a nice fellow by the name of Sean Ryan. With the noblest of motives, Sean Ryan reported to his superiors a circumstance that he believed demonstrated a violation of law. He was terminated shortly thereafter. The sales that Sean Ryan had completed were given to one of his female colleagues. She submitted the sales and received a commission. After filing his lawsuit, Verizon recognized that it had indeed failed to pay Mr. Ryan all of his wages at time of termination. The company sent him a check, but denied that he was owed any commission. Sean Ryan took Verizon to court, and after several days of testimony the jury reached a verdict: Verizon had to pay.
Despite being found liable by a jury after an extensive court trial, the Verizon / Idearc decided that it is sometimes easier to convince people through a threat than simply pay what is owed.
Verizon / Idearc chose to send the letter attached rather than pay an amount that the jury found it liable for.