Several shocking claims were made last week in a purportedly sworn statement drafted by an ABC News staffer.
The unverified document alleged close collaboration between the network and Kamala Harris’ team ahead of the Sept. 10 debate, and was first posted Sunday by an X account under the name “Black Insurrectionist.”
In particular, he alleged that the station asked Harris questions ahead of the presidential showdown, while agreeing to a number of other preconditions.
Questions about Harris’s time as California attorney general and those involving her brother-in-law, Tony West, were also rejected. The document includes several other stipulations, as well as redactions obscuring the identity of the alleged staffer.
An ABC statement did not address the specific claims, instead saying: “ABC News followed the debate rules that both campaigns agreed to… No topics or questions will be shared in advance with the campaigns or candidates.”
The unverified document, said to be an affidavit signed by a notary public on Sept. 9, has sparked controversy over its array of claims.
An ABC statement did not address the specific claims, but said: “ABC News followed the debate rules agreed to by both campaigns… No topics or questions will be shared in advance with the campaigns or candidates.”
The unverified document, said to be an affidavit signed by a notary public on Sept. 9, begins: “My name is (redacted). I reside in (redacted) New York.
‘I have worked for ABC News for over 10 years in various technical and administrative positions.’
The alleged staffer goes on to claim that they have “seen significant changes in the nature of news reporting in the organization” during that time, as well as a “shift from unbiased reporting to a model influenced by external factors.”
The person then denies that he or she is not a supporter of Donald Trump and that the document is intended solely to “address concerns about perceived bias in news reporting on my employer’s debate.”
The document, again, is dated the day before the event, but no proof has been seen that the alleged affidavit was written on the indicated day.
The seal of the notary public described is also missing, although there are a number of redactions apparently designed to protect the person’s identity.
The document then discusses the political climate leading up to the debate and how since it was announced that it would air on ABC, staff members “had expressed hope for a debate in which issues important to ordinary Americans would be discussed.”
It was allegedly written by a staff member who has worked at the station for about ten years, during which time they said the ABC’s reporting style had become increasingly problematic.
They then cite ‘promises made that candidates would commit to robust discussions about their policy proposals and that the debate would not deteriorate into an advertising campaign’, where candidates would simply make general statements without a specific policy or explanation about…’
The end of the sentence is censored, as are several others.
The next section offers an alleged glimpse into the political landscape of the ABC office, which they say saw employees “seeking a fair and honest debate” by questioning “the clear bias that is well known throughout the company.”
It specifically mentions ABC News moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis, and, more indirectly, some senior members of the station and its affiliated companies.
“It is public knowledge that both the debate moderators and CEOs of my employer are well known for not supporting Donald Trump,” reads the section titled “Clarification of Political Position.”
‘This prompted several employees to speak out about how fair the debate would be.
“We were given assurances that the debate would be fair and that neither the Harris campaign nor the Trump campaign would gain an unfair advantage,” it continues, before citing the alleged whistleblower’s “concerns regarding journalistic integrity.”
The image shows some of the alleged agreements reached by the two parties.
“I think contemporary news organizations, including ABC News, no longer adhere to impartiality,” the alleged staffer says of the issue.
‘The influence of commercial interests and major donors appears to affect the presentation of news, resulting in selective reporting and biased narratives.
‘I have personally witnessed news being removed from programming and not reported at all due to the influence of certain corporations linked to our parent company.’
However, the company’s name is redacted. ABC News’ parent companies include ABC, ABC News Holding Co. and Disney General Entertainment Content.
The next section is titled “Observations Regarding the Fairness of the Debate” and includes “specific instances related to the debate” that “raise concerns about procedural fairness.”
The first was that Harris’ campaign allegedly “received individual accommodations, including, but not limited to, the provision of a podium significantly smaller than that used by Donald Trump and assurances regarding split-screen television views that would favorably impact (Harris’s) appearance.”
This is a developing story; please check back for updates.