Fox News host Geraldo Rivera blasted what he characterized as a double standard in the way the media is covering the revelation that ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos donated $75,000 to the Clinton Foundation while serving as the network’s chief political reporter.
In a Facebook post, Rivera said ABC executives are “bending over backwards to minimize and forgive” the hefty donation, while he was fired from ABC News in 1985 for making a “non-disclosed $200 donation to a family friend running in a non-partisan mayoral campaign in New Bedford Massachusetts.”
“By neither informing his employer nor the public of his substantial donations to the Clinton Foundation he undermines his ability to do his job,” Rivera continued. “Everybody has their secret favorites and personal biases. But donations cross the line for a good reason. Money raises the specter of Pay for Play.”
Rivera said he met Stephanopoulos’ family on an April flight to Puerto Rico, and called them “very pleasant and talented.”
Still, he said, “the donations look like he’s trying to buy continued access to the family he served so loyally as a political operative in the 1990’s.”
“Moral of the story,” Rivera concluded: “If Bret Baier, Megyn Kelly, Chris Wallace or Bill O’Reilly made a similar donation to say an educational foundation run by Jeb Bush, liberal wolves would be howling in front of Fox News.”
On Friday, Stephanopoulos apologized on Good Morning America for his failure to disclose his Clinton Foundation donations. The ABC host recused himself Thursday from the network’s February GOP debate in New Hampshire.