Politico’s Hadas Gold bashed Stephen K. Bannon, Breitbart News’ Executive Chairman who is on leave of absence to serve as GOP presidential nominee Donald J. Trump’s campaign CEO, in a lengthy hit piece on Friday.
In it, Gold quotes a variety of anonymous sources, politically motivated opponents, and disgruntled ex-employees of Bannon’s over the years in an attempt to paint him as a racist, sexist, homophobe, and whatever other nasty allegations she can throw at the wall that might stick.
Politico, in the piece, did include a series of quotes that were provided by Breitbart News—positive testimonials from current employees. They included quotes from editor-in-chief Alex Marlow, Washington political editor Matthew Boyle, Texas managing director Brandon Darby, and reporter Dan Riehl. Originally, Politico included none of the quotes from women at Breitbart News and none from minorities.
This comes after Breitbart News fully cooperated with Politico, as every person reached out to for comment—and more—gave comments for the piece. But Politico simply ignored voices that were inconvenient truths for the narrative they wanted to portray.
After protesting with Politico, eventually one of the three women who sent quotes was added to the article: editor Rebecca Mansour. Not included in the article were quotes from Julia Hahn, a Jewish woman, and Sonnie Johnson, a black woman. Also omitted was a quote from Raheem Kassam, a former Muslim who is Breitbart London’s editor-in-chief, and a quote from Edwin Mora, a national security correspondent who is Hispanic and a legal immigrant to the United States from El Salvador. Lee Stranahan, a former liberal who worked hand-in-hand with Andrew Breitbart on many major stories before Andrew passed away, also submitted a statement to Politico but was not included in the article.
Since Politico is ignoring these voices so as to attack Bannon—presumably on behalf of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Rodham Clinton, since Politico’s editor Kristin Roberts and many others at the site are current or former registered Democrats—Breitbart News has decided to print all of the statements provided to Politico here.
1.) Sonnie Johnson — Breitbart podcaster, and an unabashed conservative black woman
“The first piece of advice Bannon ever gave me was, ‘don’t let them take away that which makes you great.’ Obviously he thought my strength was being thrown into the fire and coming out the other side unscathed. I promised Bannon three things when Andrew Breitbart passed. I’d sell freedom, bring in more voices, and fight the Progressive Left. Bannon promised me, he’d let me be great. We both kept our word. That’s Steve Bannon.”
2.) Julia Hahn — Breitbart reporter, and a Jewish woman from California
“Steve Bannon is one of the most supportive, kind, inspiring and selfless bosses a reporter could ask for. He’s courageous, fair, and truly cares about his country and the decent, everyday working American men and women, who are entitled to representation in Washington. Steve is a fearless voice for people who have been made voiceless, and it is an honor to have worked with him.”
3.) Edwin Mora — Breitbart reporter, and Hispanic legal immigrant from El Salvador
“Steve made me feel valued, respected, and understood at Breitbart. He always found ways to acknowledge my unique contribution to the Breitbart team, therefore motivating me to work harder. Steve is a strong leader with a good combination of professionalism and the personal touch.”
4.) Raheem Kassam — Breitbart London Editor in Chief, and former Muslim
“Steve is a great leader. He’s demanding, but he treats his staff like his family – a trait that I have learned from him. Do we fall out with our families sometimes? Sure. But you know that when the going gets tough, if you’ve done your best and been honest and forthright, he’ll be there for you. He’s probably the single-most driven person I’ve ever met, and he doesn’t just sit back and watch things play out. He’s in the trenches with you. And ultimately, that’s all anyone can ask for in a boss.”
5.) Lee Stranahan — Breitbart reporter, former liberal converted by Andrew Breitbart himself
“It’s been thrilling to watch Steve Bannon build my friend Andrew’s company Breitbart News into a large, news focused media company with a huge presence on the internet, on nationwide radio, in books and films. He’s got boundless energy, he understands the ebb and flow of the news cycle, and has been tremendously supportive of the deep-dive, travel-intensive investigative reporting that I do.”
6.) Rebecca Mansour — Breitbart editor, and former aide to former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin
“Steve Bannon is a champion for the little guy. His conservative populism stems from his commitment to looking out for the everyday Americans who are all too often betrayed by the powers that be in D.C. and on Wall Street. Steve is the guy on the playground who stands up for the person being bullied.”
This quote was eventually begrudgingly added into the Politico article after Breitbart News contacted Politico multiple times.
The following quotes were used in the original article:
7.) Alex Marlow — Breitbart editor-in-chief, and Andrew Breitbart’s and Larry Solov’s first hire
“Steve Bannon is one of the top political and media visionaries working anywhere, and he may be the foremost populist intellectual in the world. His energy is infectious, and he’s been an invaluable mentor to me. The media attack him over his “tough love” approach, but that’s only because he’s highly effective. Having sat at his right-hand for years–and as a member of “Generation Wuss”–I can say authoritatively that if America had more Bannons, we’d have more disciplined, hardworking, patriotic young people and far fewer precious snowflakes.”
8.) Matthew Boyle — Breitbart Washington political editor, and former liberal from Massachusetts
“Steve Bannon has taught me so much throughout my career in journalism. His positive and encouraging management style–where he puts a premium on action and results–is why Breitbart is so much more successful than our competitors. He bleeds competitiveness, and drives us to win. He also truly cares about the success and wellbeing of his employees as evidenced by the many selfless actions he’s taken on behalf of all of us. This is the best news organization to work at hands down, and it’s in large part because of the culture Steve has created and fostered here. I wouldn’t change a thing.”
9.) Brandon Darby — Breitbart Texas managing director, and former liberal who converted with Andrew Breitbart just like Stranahan
“He is a tough boss who has shepherded me to heights I never thought I would see, largely because of that toughness and his loyalty. When I wanted to bring a voice to citizen journalists in Mexico, he allowed me to do so. He made our Cartel Chronicles project a reality and countless numbers of northern Mexican communities that were marginalized and left voiceless by U.S. media now have a voice. When my young daughter came to live with me full-time, Bannon stepped up and began helping me with a raise and her school tuition, offered me assistance, and made sure I could still have my demanding and rewarding career AND be a great dad. I couldn’t have done that without his support. Our relationship is dynamic and often-times contentious–and worth every bit of it. It results in beautiful things and many communities, whether in Mexico, in the Border Patrol agent community, farmers, people who fight human trafficking, etc. have a voice that they would not have if Bannon had not pushed me and supported me in these efforts.”
10.) Dan Riehl, longtime Breitbart reporter and longtime conservative
“During my five plus years of working with Breitbart, I experienced a serious illness resulting in complex heart surgery, and Steve Bannon stood by me when many employers wouldn’t have, including continuing to pay me during an extended period of time when I simply couldn’t perform my normal workflow. He was also quick to inquire as to how I was doing during those periods and to continue doing so as I eased my way back into work. I also have firsthand knowledge of his demonstrating the same type of compassion and consideration for more than one other individual associated with Breitbart News. I owe him a profound debt of gratitude for that and am absolutely convinced many employers would not have made the compassionate choices he did in my case.”
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