Rep. Tom Tiffany, the Republican nominee for Wisconsin governor, is facing questions over press access after his campaign barred two Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reporters from a Thursday event. The move kept Wisconsin's largest newspaper from covering the stop, despite Tiffany saying just days earlier that he welcomed journalists, including those from outlets he considers "slanted," the Wisconsin Examiner reports. His campaign later said on X that reporter Mary Spicuzza was excluded but said a Journal-Sentinel photographer and "balanced journalists" from other outlets were allowed in. The campaign called Spicuzza a "liberal activist."
At the event, Tiffany deflected, saying he needed to consult his communications team about Spicuzza's access. Two days before the event, when asked about Trump's attempt to ban CNN, MS Now, and Politico reporters from the White House, Tiffany said, "I believe in open, free press, that they be able to ask us questions." The Journal-Sentinel says Tiffany has turned down its interview requests for more than a year.
- At Thursday's event, the candidate told reporters that they should speak to his Democratic rival, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, and "ask him if he's going to be as open and transparent as I am." Crowley told WPR that Tiffany "likes to lie." "He literally said that … he would never turn away a reporter from covering his events," Crowley said. "And two days later, he did exactly that."
Journal-Sentinel editor Greg Borowski criticized the restriction. "When our reporters cover campaigns and attend political events, they are there on behalf of the public," Borowski said. "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."
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