Dean on Hillary Pay-To-Play Accusations: This is a Press ‘Witch Hunt’

Howard Dean
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Wednesday on MSNBC while commenting on the media’s call for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton to hold a press conference in light of new pay-to-play accusations between then-Secretary Clinton’s State Department and her family’s organization the Clinton Foundation, former Democratic National Committee chairman and former Gov. Howard Dean (D-VT) called it a “witch hunt” and the said the press had it in for Clinton.

Dean  said, “She has answered the questions many, many times. The problem is, it’s not good enough. I don’t question that many members of the press are hardworking and ethical. I have had people on this station say that they put Donald Trump on during the primary as much as they had because their ratings went down when they didn’t. We’ve seen that again and again and again. The press corps, because of the enormous corporate pressures, editorial room pressures to get ratings, ratings, ratings, this is one of the failing institutions. It’s going to be fixed eventually by the free market because the internet is a total leveler, but the truth is, I wouldn’t have a press conference if I were Hillary because the questions won’t be fair and the writers won’t be fair and the Associated Press story is a perfect example of that.”

Citing the example of Clinton’s meeting with Melinda Gates, Dean added, “Right. So that’s the kind of thing I’m talking about. Of course she’s going to meet with movers and shakers in the international world. If they happen to give money to The Clinton Foundation, that’s a great thing. The Clinton Foundation has done a lot of very good things for people. So I really do think this is a witch hunt, and the press has it in for Hillary sometimes. Hillary has to manage the press. She’s done plenty of interviews where she gets asked very tough questions. The press conference turns into a feeding frenzy. I wouldn’t have done it. I don’t think I got treated very well by the press.”

Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN

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