Politicians vs. The Fourth Estate

January 9, 2015

Here are a few American politicians that recently tangled with the press…and what happened afterward.

Anthony Weiner vs. Lucy Watson

This Democrat famously ran one of the most disastrous campaigns for mayor in the history of New York City in 2013. In addition to dealing with accusations that abused members of his staff and had over $2,000 in unpaid traffic tickets, Weiner found himself embroiled in a “sexting” scandal that drew international headlines. Strangest of all, perhaps, was Weiner’s encounter with Lucy Watson, a British TV reporter. He mocked her accent while on camera and said that he felt like he had “walked into a Monty Python bit.” Then he poked fun at the U.K.’s notoriously rainy weather. Weiner did not win the election.

Michael Grimm vs. Mike Scotto

The Republican congressman was feeling a bit grumpy after the 2014 State of the Union address when When Mike Scotto, a reporter for NY1, made the mistake of asking Grimm some questions about his campaign finances. The congressman threatened to toss the reporter off a balcony before saying, “I will break you in half. Like a boy.” Grimm called Scotto the next day and apologized for the threat before issuing a second written apology that criticized the reporter for asking off-topic. The incident received lots of attention from the press but Scotto accepted his apology. In 2015, Grimm resigned in disgrace after pleading guilty to tax evasion.

Kirby Delauter vs. Bethany Rodgers

This Republican politician from Frederick County, Maryland received lots of unwanted attention from the press recently when he threatened to sue Bethany Rodgers, a reporter from The Frederick News-Post. Why? Because she printed his name in an unflattering article about parking spots set aside for him and his fellow council members. Delauter claimed he would sue her and the paper if they ever printed his name again without his permission. The paper shot back with a funny editorial titled Kirby Delauter, Kirby Delauter, Kirby Delauter that informed the politican of its basic First Amendment rights.