Mother Jones Washington, D.C. bureau chief David Corn claimed he spotted “obscene” graffiti targeting Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) at an airport Tuesday, but the airport’s staff say they came up empty-handed after attempting to locate the purported drawing.
Corn told his more than 700,000 followers that he spotted the graffiti inside a bathroom stale at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport — but declined to share a photo of it. “I just spotted obscene anti-@AOC graffiti in a bathroom stall in the Phoenix airport. Yes, really. (Not going to post a photo of it.),” the veteran left-wing newsman said.
I just spotted obscene anti-@AOC graffiti in a bathroom stall in the Phoenix airport. Yes, really. (Not going to post a photo of it.)
— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) March 5, 2019
Roughly 20 minutes later, Phoenix Sky Harbor’s Twitter account replied to Corn’s tweet asking whether he would confirm which terminal and course the purported graffiti is in so it could notify its facilities team.
Hi David – would you mind telling us which terminal and concourse so we can let our Facilities team know?
— PHX Sky Harbor (@PHXSkyHarbor) March 5, 2019
Corn responded over eight hours later to the airport, saying: “I was on a United flight to Houston about noon. Near that gate.”
I was on a United flight to Houston about noon. Near that gate. https://t.co/UmpzEvtRYN
— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) March 6, 2019
On Wednesday morning, the airport told Corn that its facilities crew searched the bathrooms but did not find the purported drawing, noting that they are cleaned several times daily.
Thanks for the follow-up. Our Facilities team checked the restrooms in the area last night, and although they didn't find anything, those restrooms are checked and cleaned several times a day.
— PHX Sky Harbor (@PHXSkyHarbor) March 6, 2019
Corn then said the purported graffiti was drawn in black marker, raising the prospect that it may have been wiped off before the cleaning crew arrived. He then asked the airport to follow him so he could privately message the drawing.
It was in black marker that could be wiped off. I know because I tried. Follow me and I can DM a pic. Thanks. https://t.co/s0VY19WQTy
— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) March 6, 2019
Corn, a frequent critic of President Donald Trump, is co-author of the book Russian Roulette: The Inside Story of Putin’s War on America and the Election of Donald Trump. As an MSNBC analyst, Corn has used his perch to drum up discussion of possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election, once calling it “the most consequential political scandal in American history.”
In 2017, Mother Jones launched an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against Corn after two emails from staffers alleged he inappropriately touched female employees and made jokes about rape and “women’s sexuality and anatomy.”
In a statement to Politico, Corn denied touching “any work colleague in a sexual manner” — yet admitted that as an “exuberant person,” he is “known to pat male and female colleagues on the shoulder or slap them on the back, but always in a collegial or celebratory way.”
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