Fox 5 banned from Nathan Deal immigration bill signing
Fox 5/WAGA-TV’s Justin Gray was blocked by state troopers from a public immigration bill signing held today by Gov. Nathan Deal at the Gold Dome. Why? Deal’s press office was angry about an unrelated, unflattering story Dale Russell had done the night before about Deal.
VIDEO: Governor Deal’s Office Bans FOX 5 Reporter from Immigration Bill Signing: MyFoxATLANTA.com
Below is the story that upset Deal’s office. The campaign had paid $90,000 to a fund-raising company the I-Team had never heard of called Southern Magnolia Capital. Russell discovered that company was connected to Deal’s daughter in law Denise Deal. Phil Wilheit, identified in the story as Deal’s campaign manager, told Russell the transaction was “transparent” but Russell said the firm has no website or any obvious public information or direct link to Deal’s name.
Fox 5 news director Mike McClain sent a statement today at about 5:30 p.m. to me: “FOX 5 Atlanta stands by our I-Team investigation and Reporter Dale Russell. The barring of FOX 5 cameras from the bill signing today was unacceptable and obviously an emotional reaction to our I-Team investigation. We’ve voiced out concerns to the Governor’s Office and hope that they will reconsider that decision.”
Deal’s spokesman Brian Robinson, when I called him, was still hot under the collar. He said the campaign never hid the fact Denise Deal ran the governor’s fund-raising campaign and having a family member do so is not illegal. He challenged me to Google the name “Southern Magnolia Capitol.” There was one site that immediately came up with her name attached to it: the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. (It was added, however, on May 10, just days before the report aired, so when Russell was first working on the piece, indeed, there was no sign of Deal’s connection with Southern Magnolia online.) He said she was compensated at a market rate. A P.O. box number Fox 5 identified as connected to Southern Magnolia was a clerical error, not a way to hide anything, he noted.
The person identified as campaign manager in the story Wilheit was the chairman, Robinson said, not the campaign manager, and he didn’t know all the details Fox 5 had showed him. Robinson thought they had “ambushed” him. The governor chose not to talk to Fox 5 about it because he didn’t want to be ambushed either, Robinson said.
He said the reason they blocked Gray was not anything Gray did but the fact the station did “a shoddy piece of journalism in which they should be embarrassed.” He is demanding an apology. He felt this was one way to punish Fox 5 because “we don’t have a TV station. We don’t have the power of the airwaves.”
Ironically, he said Deal has developed a good relationship with Fox 5 before this, noting the governor has has appeared on “Good Day Atlanta” since coming into office. “We’ve given them incredible access,” Robinson said. “That’s why this was so particularly upsetting to us.”
He said the story has “lots of innuendo but no context and very little facts.”
Judge for yourself:
I-Team: Gov. Deal Campaign Funds: MyFoxATLANTA.com
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By Rodney Ho, rho@ajc.com, AJCRadioTV blog
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263 comments Add your comment
midtownguy
May 14th, 2011
9:55 am
Scrutiny comes with power. It matters not if it is because you are wealthy, an elected official or pastor of a mega church. Close scrutiny comes with the position. It amazes me that people pursue these positions of power, then shout that they are being “ambushed” or “victimized” when the press inquires into their activities.
Take it from me
May 14th, 2011
10:00 am
You know da deal!
CajunBubba
May 14th, 2011
10:13 am
Who cares if the governor hired his daughter-in-law. The local media have been on a manhunt ever since Deal was elected. Go find something worth reporting to the people. The I-Team is exactly why I don’t watch Fox 5 News anymore. Totally tired of their stupid stories.
BRW
May 14th, 2011
10:16 am
CajunBubba, Seems about 95% of the ones reading here, and you are one of them, care.
Jimmie
May 14th, 2011
10:18 am
Mr. Deacon…surely you jest…you are aware that Hannity is not a reporter, right? Hannity is only an entertainer on the FOX network…
Ronin
May 14th, 2011
10:26 am
While the Governors office may not like the content of the Fox story. That is no reason to prohibit the reporter from a public event. In fact, it give the appearance of childish behavior by the press staffer. He may not like the reporting of Fox, however, he needs to handle the situation better.
FaceTheTruth
May 14th, 2011
10:41 am
Freedom of the press is key to our democracy. As a Deal supporter this is very disappointing.
It is interesting how other News Stations & the media report this event with Fox5 being banned from the Immigration Law Signing. WSB-TV seemed to ignore the banning of Fox5 but Brenda Wood showed class in doing a “spot on” editorial last night about Deal’s banning of the press. AJC also put very low priority on coverage of the Fox5 banning.
DanDeacon
May 14th, 2011
10:50 am
If Barrack Hussein can hire his mother in law to keep the yungins at the white house living there sponging on taxpayers’ money, what’s the deal (excuse the pun) with Governor Deal allowing his daughter in law to be a campaign mgr and get be reasonably compensated. That’s not a 4 year committment like B.O. ’s mother in law and isn’t paid by the taxpayers.
BigRed
May 14th, 2011
10:55 am
Bush and Cheney use to require attendees to meetings to sign a loyalty oath. What the hell was that all about in a free country.
BRW
May 14th, 2011
11:07 am
Dan Dea-Con, Why not discuss the matter of the story listed here? You can go to the national FOX network to hear all the bad things about YOUR fairly elected president that they can make up. This is about Deal, the guy who ran home from national politics to get out of the heat, acting like a 5 year old, a badly behaved one at that. If they throw him out of this office, or he leaves of his own accord, the locals will next elect him mayor of Gainesville or Hall County commisioner. He obviously fits there ideal of a good politician. Honest, intelligent, not so much.
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
May 14th, 2011
11:25 am
`
. . . . NO FREEDOM OF THE PRESS IN GEORGIA ANYMORE ?
.
. . . . Thomas Jefferson would not put up with this fiasco.
.
Sam the Sham
May 14th, 2011
11:28 am
Michelle S, who in the H do you think that the GSP works for? They are one of the law enforcement agencies who are under the executive branch. They answer directly to Gov. Deal. Please take a civics class.
BRW
May 14th, 2011
11:34 am
Definitely not the GSPs fault. They are just the “Tool” of the “Tool”…
Wisdom, Justice, Moderation
May 14th, 2011
11:44 am
The Georgia Department of Public Safety was created in 1937 and oversees the day-to-day operations of the Georgia State Patrol.
The Georgia State Patrol provides the security of the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House and their families.
Bill Callahan
May 14th, 2011
11:48 am
What happened to Freedom of the Press : he had legal credentials??? . This is no more than banning a legal Television entity . Shame on you Deal but after your campaign you have no shame .
Bill Callahan
May 14th, 2011
11:54 am
These aren’t Republicans ; A few years ago they were all Democrats . Remember . They still act like Democrats
atlthrasher
May 14th, 2011
12:13 pm
As long as the people of Georgia’s primary concerns remain Guns, Gays, and Religion, we will continue seeing shady people in public office.
JustLooking
May 14th, 2011
12:16 pm
Wow, when the Obama administration tried to ban Fox News from the press room, the other journalists all walked out in protest. Here we have a Republican governor actually banishing Fox 5 and getting away with it. It doesn’t really add up. I wonder if this will be a coming trend. Don’t say anything to make him mad, because you will be denied access to his news conferences. But that’s the Republican way, there’s no such thing as democracy with them (that means everyone is equal, by the way). He’s the governor and he can do what he wants to, whether its democratic or not.
Chris
May 14th, 2011
12:30 pm
It’s great watching some of the pathetic neocons on here try and defend Deal or desperately try and change the subject by either talking about race, Obama, or other stuff that has absolutely nothing to do with this story.
Jim: What does race have to do with this? I thought you guys even said that racism is over or nearly over.
south georgia possum: Spoken like a true sheep. Of course those in power always know what best for us and we shouldn’t question them, right south georgia communist?
Yousuck: Why would the AJC launch an investigation into an event that occurred in Philadelphia? Come on, do you honestly think about things before you type them out? Nice try attempting to change the subject to Cynthia Tucker btw. I can tell that you’re one of those people who would still vote for Deal even if he killed someone.
Keith
May 14th, 2011
12:31 pm
This sounds just like the campaign arrangements made by most of the New Order pols in Atlanta.
Chris
May 14th, 2011
12:34 pm
So Deal fans, having any buyer’s remorse yet? Probably not considering that facts and information means nothing to you guy’s.
curt
May 14th, 2011
12:38 pm
Don’t you love it when the leaders of same party that makes such a big thing about freedom tries to suppress news they don’t like.
Face the Truth
May 14th, 2011
12:49 pm
Dan Deacon – OB mother in law is part of his family is not paid for her assistance. And this has nothing to do with Deal trying to hide his compensation to a family member. Deal’s compensation to his daughter equals $22,000 per MONTH. No matter what duties she performed this is a stretch in anybody’s book.
Wisdom, Justice – So the Executive Branch control the Ga State Patrol, but that does not give him legal authority to sensor the press to a Public Open Records event. That’s what Pres. Nixon did (tried to do) and we know that story.
Disappointed that WSB-TV has for ignored this story for 2 days. Not a peep!
bigdawg
May 14th, 2011
12:52 pm
Hey Georgia…be careful what you wish for…you may get it!
“Oh, the wicked we weave when first we practice to deceive!”
-Shakespeare
pb
May 14th, 2011
1:11 pm
south georgia possum did you say cheap shot. Would it have been better if all of us close eyes and not look into his shady deal. I wonder is deal was anything other then White would you come out of your trailer. Should I come over with a fork lift to help you get out the bed!
Ms. Ann
May 14th, 2011
1:21 pm
Shady politicians-when will Georgia ever learn. If there wasn’t anything to hide then he wouldn’t have a problem with the news story. Oh I have an idea how about giving Fox 5 and exclusive interview and set the record straight if what they are reporting is false.
Banned from bill signing | b-roll.net
May 14th, 2011
1:40 pm
[...] http://blogs.ajc.com/radio-tv-talk/2…-bill-signing/ [...]
rlg Stone Mountain
May 14th, 2011
1:44 pm
Wake Up Everyone, do you really think that people who are willing to spend $10,000,000 of thier own money to get elected to a job that pays $90,000 a year can really be trusted? Or do you think that the Love America so much they are willing to loss over $9 Million Dollars just to serve us. They are all lie, cheat and steal. ALL OF THEM.
duane
May 14th, 2011
2:05 pm
Wow Deal is just the kind of Goveror a State like Georgia deserves; a racist and a crook.
Georgia corrupted
May 14th, 2011
2:36 pm
I love the way our governor stated that his meetings with the Commissioner were because he and his partner were “worried” about the safety of Georgia motorists and how the new inspectors were not qualified to inspect vehicles, if anyone would look into it you would see how corrupted the governor and his station were… even inspectors and re-builders who went to jail because of the corruption. So, it wasn’t about the money? It was about the concern for Georgia residents? Right.
Holly G
May 14th, 2011
2:40 pm
Deal is just another republican crook who wants the media to spin him in only a positive light instead of telling the truth about him. He’s cut from the same cloth as “Mooselini” herself Sarah Palin.
Kathleen
May 14th, 2011
2:50 pm
I am not a fan of politicians and abhor the media. However, these politicians who use their office to self-anoint themselves to monarch status are becoming a dangerous trend. Any and every event opened to any media outlet should be open to every media outlet.
joesnopy
May 14th, 2011
3:02 pm
I am sorry but Dale is a real good reporter. He has done stories on people I like but it turned out his reporting was right on. Dale is able to sit on stories for a long time until he check the story for truth. I am just saying Dale has done a lot of reporting on people I use to respect. Everytiime he reports on something it turns out he has been looking at it for months and in most cases have contacted the party he is reporting on to get their side so they know it is coming out. So what is Deal hiding people. He did story after story on Perdue and Perdue never stopped the media.
DanDeacon
May 14th, 2011
3:14 pm
“face the truth”….see here you go believing what Russell has written. This is Gov. Deal’s exact point. People like you believe it because some reporter wrote it.. Gov. Deal will teach people like the reporter and you to understand the facts before you run your mouth. He doesn’t take crap off no one and stands his ground. Which is why he signed the immigration bill…he’ll stand up to B.O. and his crony feds and Ga. will defeat the feds attempt to control this state. Get the facts and then come back and let’s talk. And yes, check the budget for B.O. it’s there alright, you just have to look for it while B.O. tries to hide it from the taxpayers but his mother in law gets a check. Again, you have a problem with the parallel comparing B.O.’s payments to relatives to Gov. Deal’s. Try again and you’ll see that pointing out the comparison is relative. You Barrack Hussein fans can’t see past your nose and when he’s in the hot box you try to defend him. There’s no more defense for him how. The Republicans have him and the Dems on the run.
Rich
May 14th, 2011
3:29 pm
I am amazed at how us Georgians continue to vote against our own interest and insist on voting for those representatives and governors who vote based on hate and exclusiveness. When are we going to grow up and vote in our own best interest? There is enough here for everyone and the more people who can share in the prosperity the more products and houses will be purchased and the more tax money will come to the state.
Bo
May 14th, 2011
3:30 pm
Oh yeah, there is this little thing called the ‘First Amendment’. Of course the governor does not need to be bothered with those inconvenient things like laws and the Constitution of the United States.
Face the facts
May 14th, 2011
3:42 pm
Rich: There is enough here for everyone and the more people who can share in the prosperity the more products and houses will be purchased and the more tax money will come to the state.
For a fact, 80 to 90 percent of the illegal residents in this state (and nation) are not paying soc sec, state and federal income taxes). Over 90% do not pay property taxes..which pays for our SCHOOL SYSTEMS. Yet well over 35% of our school systems are attended by children of these same illegals. FACT.
Grady Hospital estimates that $25,000,000 of their medical services (Emerg Room and Child Birth) were NOT paid by illegals. Emergency Rooms are FULL of illegals that are not paying a dime. Something is wrong with this picture…and Deal made the right call on this one.
If one is not a legal citizen & paying their fair share of taxes they should not be benefiting from the services that the LEGAL citizens are having to pay more and more far. The main reason our school systems are financially broke is having to take existing resources to teach ENGLISH, to those that are not even paying anyway.
mik
May 14th, 2011
3:56 pm
OOPS. It looks like I may have erred. I voted for Deal as the lesser of two evils. This act of reprisal for a news story that the public should know about shows his contempt for the citizens of Georgia and how much of a lie his “transparency” policy is really. Shame me once, shame on you. Shame me twice, shame on me. I won’t make the same mistake next election.
Yvette
May 14th, 2011
5:05 pm
It is shocking to have any media outlet banned from a public event as long as they behave properly during the event. Did they check with their PR people before making this childish move? This is going to make me think twice about voting for Deal next time around.
BRW
May 14th, 2011
5:28 pm
Yvette, Dan Dea-Con is about the only one on this blog with enough Obama hate who would vote for Deal the next time if he could, but if I were a betting man I would say he won’t even be on the ballot next go round. There’s this little rule about cons/ex-cons (that’s con-vict not con-servative) not being able to hold the office that may get in the way by then.
media
May 14th, 2011
5:44 pm
WAGA will sue claim dening access significantly impaired reporters‟ ability to gather and report the news in a “timely, comprehensive and informative manner. The court, will side with waga….
Discriminatory governmental action aimed at the communicative impact of expression is presumptively at odds with the First Amendment. Above all else, the First Amendment means that the government cannot restrict freedom of expression on the basis of its ideas, message or content. At a minimum, waga right of access to information made available to the public or made available generally to the press.
Also… Sw. Newspapers Corp. v. Curtis, 584 S.W.2d 362, 363-64 (Tex. Civ. App. 1979
Aunt Bea
May 14th, 2011
11:36 pm
I would like to thank our “our great Gov.” for using the tax payers money to pay the Ga. State Patrol for such an important task! I am sure they did not have anything better to do, After all who cares about all the crimmals and drug dealer in Ga. We will pay law-enforcement to take out
news reporters we they get out hand! REALLY REALLY
R Lavender
May 15th, 2011
10:19 am
Let see 1. They don’t have to report where they got the money 2, They don’t have to report who they paid the money too 3. The peoples who received the money don’t have have to have a business license or report it. 4. The person they paid the money too does not have to report it or paid taxes on it. 5. What about a 1099? 6. Why are no other reporters reporting about this? This is what they should be asking about.
Face the Truth
May 15th, 2011
10:01 pm
Good points Lavender, yet Dan “The Rat Killer” Dea-com will still keep on believing and defending Mr. Deal. Receiving $200K a year to store wrecked cars that he snuck into the back door to get when he was a State Senator, that he gets his road repaved for $80,000 because his business needed it done to raise his property. And under a full House of Representative Ethics investigation, resigns from the House of Representatives so they would stop their investigation….Our politicians are beyond the law that us peons must abide by. And Dan “The Rat Killer” Dea-Con still things it should not be investigated. Wow!
Your morning jolt: A Friday night radio confrontation twixt a Nathan Deal spokesman and Dale Russell | Political Insider
May 16th, 2011
7:02 am
[...] topic of the evening was Gov. Nathan Deal’s decision to refuse Fox5 Atlanta’s access to the state Capitol ceremonies surrounding the signing of HB 87, the bill addressing illegal [...]
Kar
May 16th, 2011
10:40 am
Fire, meet fuel.
Idiotic. If it’s nothing then ignore it or let it fall flat on it’s face due to the lack of merit.
In Retaliation for Unflattering Story, Georgia Governor Blocks WAGA from Press Event - TVSpy
May 16th, 2011
11:06 am
[...] After Gray was banned from the bill signing, WAGA (Fox 5) news director Mike McClain sent a statement to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: [...]
Amateur hour « live apartment fire
May 16th, 2011
11:11 am
[...] was on social media. At 2:54pm, it was on Peach Pundit. At 3:54, it was on Rodney Ho’s AJC blog. At 6:21, it was posted to WSB and WGCL’s sites,via a CNN writeup (partly written by [...]
Karen
May 16th, 2011
12:31 pm
Angry over a news story. I;m now left to believe the story reported is True!
dan
May 16th, 2011
1:51 pm
Look, I am a Democrat and not a fan of Fox News. This is wrong however. Banning a news organization from a PUBLIC OPEN MEETING because the governor is mad that fox ran a negative story. Hey, that is why we have free press and open government. It sends the wrong message. I support fox 5 in this!