Tiffany campaign blocks Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter from event

MILWAUKEE – The campaign for Wisconsin Republican gubernatorial nominee Tom Tiffany blocked a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter from covering a campaign event on Thursday, Sept. 24.

Tiffany media event

The backstory:

Tiffany held a “veterans roundtable” in Milwaukee on Thursday, Sept. 24. A media advisory his campaign sent the day before said: “Media are welcome to cover the event and will have an opportunity to ask questions afterward.” Media members were asked to RSVP. 

Journalist denied entry

What they’re saying:

Tiffany’s campaign denied Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Mary Spicuzza entry to Thursday’s event. A statement from the campaign described Spicuzza as a “liberal activist” and said she was notified Wednesday that she would not be permitted.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android

The campaign’s statement also said the Journal Sentinel had a photographer at Thursday’s event and other Journal Sentinel journalists would be welcomed, adding: “We expect journalists to be balanced, and when you write multiple negative headlines about our campaign and not a single negative headline about David Crowley, as Mary Spicuzza has done, that is not balanced reporting.”

The other side:

FOX6 News reached out to Spicuzza, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council. We did not immediately hear back from Spicuzza or the Freedom of Information Council.

Greg Borowski, the Journal Sentinel’s executive editor, declined an on-camera interview but pointed to a statement in an article they posted:

“When our reporters cover campaigns and attend political events, they are there on behalf of the public. Blocking them blocks the public from vital information.

“Our aim is to help voters understand the candidates, their backgrounds and their positions. We will continue to pursue fair and unbiased coverage, despite campaigns creating unnecessary hurdles.”

Free press access

Why you should care:

Tiffany told reporters he believed in press freedoms days before Spicuzza was denied entry to the Milwaukee event.

“As you can see, I did not deter anyone here from joining us today, and I don’t plan on doing that,” Tiffany said at the Wisconsin Counties Association conference on Sept. 22. “I’m going to continue to allow you here. So, yeah, I believe in open, free press that they be able to ask us questions, and the principle that I live with is that I just expect all of you to be fair, and as long as you’re fair in your writing, I always welcome free press here. 

“It’s when the press is slanted that’s what’s frustrating. But, yeah, we’re going to have, even when the press has been slanted, as we’ve seen with the Journal Sentinel, with some of their stories, we still have them here today.”

Democrats respond

What they’re saying:

Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokesperson Emily Stuckey said in a statement Thursday:

“Congressman Tiffany has supported attempts to overturn elections and now he is blocking the press from covering his campaign. It is absolutely disqualifying for Congressman Tiffany to continue to follow Trump’s example and ban the free press. Congressman Tiffany is already hiding from voters —what would he hide from Wisconsinites as governor?”

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

Izzi Levy, a Democratic Governors Association spokesperson, responded:

“Wisconsin voters deserve to know where their candidates for governor stand on the issues, but MAGA Congressman Tiffany is quite literally standing in the way — following Trump’s lead and lashing out at the press for doing their jobs. Instead of answering for his five votes to continue the war currently driving gas prices to historic highs, Congressman Tiffany is bringing swamp tactics back to Wisconsin — ducking and hiding as he tries to avoid answering for his extreme, cost-raising record.”

The latest: White House press ban

Big picture view:

The White House banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico earlier this week. President Donald Trump announced the ban last week, denouncing the organizations as “fake news,” and claiming their reporting posed national security concerns. 

In a show of solidarity, major U.S. broadcast outlets declined to participate in the White House video pool. It resulted in no major news organizations in the U.S. airing live coverage from the White House on Thursday, on a day when Chinese leader Xi Jinping was visiting and planning to attend a state dinner. 

The outlets that were banned sued, arguing the Trump Administration had singled them out over the content of their journalism, violating the First Amendment and stripping their press credentials without any meaningful process. 

On Thursday, a federal judge blocked Trump’s White House ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico. The judge’s decision to provisionally lift the ban is a short-term victory for the outlets in the clash between Trump and reporters whose coverage he has repeatedly attacked.

Wisconsin governor’s race

Local perspective:

Tiffany, who currently represents Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District, is the Republican nominee for governor and has the backing of Trump and Vice President JD Vance. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley is the Democratic nominee.

What’s next:

The general election is on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.