Journalists Agree to Keep Mum on Conservative Donors at Koch Brothers Event [View all]

[Judi Lynn]

Published on Sunday, August 02, 2015

by Common Dreams

Journalists Agree to Keep Mum on Conservative Donors at Koch Brothers Event

Major media outlets granted access to Koch Brothers' affair in exchange for their silence

by Sarah Lazare, staff writer

In a rare move, journalists from a handful of major media outlets were granted access this weekend to a private and well-heeled gathering of Republican benefactors, sponsored by the billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch, on one condition: that they do not name any of the 450 donors attending, unless given explicit permission.

The three-day event, hosted by the Koch brothers-backed nonprofit organization Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce, is being held at at the St. Regis Monarch Beach luxury resort in California. A small number of reporters confirmed they are attending the events on the condition that they keep mum.

"The Washington Post is one of nine news organizations allowed in to cover the traditionally private confab, on the condition that the donors present not be named without their permission," wrote Post reporter Matea Gold on Saturday.

Politico reporter Kenneth P. Vogel also confirmed on Saturday that his outlet was one of the select few invited "on the condition that the donors present not be named without their permission."

More:
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/08/02/journalists-agree-keep-mum-conservative-donors-koch-brothers-event