Once again the evening news broadcasts (ABC, CBS, and NBC) completely ignored a story that does not jive with their leftist political agenda. On Tuesday, outrage swept Capitol Hill when the Biden Justice Department was found to have given Montez Lee, a Black Lives Matter rioter a lighter sentence than is called for in the sentencing guidelines.
The three networks did manage to spend a combined six minutes and twenty-eight seconds on mundane topics ranging from the Olympics, the Oscars, to a report that Peloton is laying off workers.
With all three evening news broadcasts ignoring the story, it was left to Bret Baier on Fox News Channel's Special Report to cover this miscarriage of justice.
Baier not only covered the story but led with it at the top of the 6:00 p.m. broadcast. "A Black Lives Matter activist who authorities say burned down a building during a protest and an act of arson that ended up killing a man. The Senators want answers about why the arsonist received the sentence he received. Much lower than standard. Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas says the Montez Lee case has to do with politics," he announced.
Baier then turned to congressional correspondent Aishah Hasnie for the full details. According to Hasnie, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell had joined Senators Tom Cotton and Josh Hawley "in their outrage at President Biden's Justice Department." She also reported that "they say the DOJ is handing out politically soft sentences, pointing to the case of BLM protester Montez Lee Jr."
Montez Lee is a "26-year-old Minnesota man broke into a Minneapolis pawnshop during a 2020 riot and set the business on fire. He was heard saying we're gonna burn this explicative down. Police later found the body of 30-year-old Oscar Stuart, a father of 5 inside that scorched store." And according to Hasnie. "he could have received up to 20 years in prison but the Biden Justice Department argued for leniency."
You would think that a violent criminal with a long rap sheet involving "burglary, theft, assault, and violating a no-contact order" receiving a ten-year sentence with "three years supervised release" would get at least a passing mention from the three networks. Especially since the Justice Department sentencing guidelines recommend twenty years.
This appalling example of bias by omission by the three networks was made possible by Capital One on ABC, Prevagen on CBS, and Ensure on NBC. Their information is linked so you can let them know about the biased news they fund.
To read the transcript of this segment click "expand":
FNC’s Special Report
2/8/2022
6:00:43 PMBRET BAIER: But, first, crime and punishment as crime spikes across this country, Senate Republicans now want answers on one specific case. A Black Lives Matter activist who authorities say burned down a building during a protest and an act of arson that ended up killing a man. The Senators want answers about why the arsonist received the sentence he received. Much lower than standard. Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas says the Montez Lee case has to do with politics. Congressional correspondent Aishah Hasnie is on Capitol Hill with the story. Good evening Aishah
AISHAH HASNIE: Good evening to you Bret, that’s right. We’ve heard from Senators Cotton and Hawley already about this and now we’re hearing from Minority Leader Mitch McConnell who has also taken issue with this particular case calling this reduced sentencing totally inappropriate.
SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL: I think it's important for us to underscore prosecution that fits the crime.
HASNIE: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell joining Senators Tom Cotton and Josh Hawley tonight in their outrage at President Biden's Justice Department. They say the DOJ is handing out politically soft sentences, pointing to the case of BLM protester Montez Lee Jr. The 26-year-old Minnesota man broke into a Minneapolis pawnshop during a 2020 riot and set the business on fire. He was heard saying we're gonna burn this explicative down. Police later found the body of 30-year-old Oscar Stuart, a father of 5 inside that scorched store.
Lee pled guilty to one federal count of arson but was never charged by the Trump Justice Department with Stuart's death. He could have received up to 20 years in prison but the Biden Justice Department argued for leniency. Writing Mr. Lee does not appear to pose a danger to the public despite a rap sheet of burglary, theft, assault, and violating a no-contact order. The judge gave Lee just 10 years with three years supervised release.
MCCONNELL: The prosecutors there have recommended sentencing below the sentencing guideline for the crime that they’ve been charged with because of their sympathies for groups like BLM. That’s totally inappropriate.
HASNIE: Today McConnell sent a letter to Biden's nominee for Minnesota U.S. Attorney. This as Senator Cotton sent his own letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland demanding answers.
SENATOR TOM COTTON: Certainly appears that the Department of Justice is going soft on criminals who commit heinous crimes like arson whereas they are throwing the book at some of the protesters who broke into the Capitol and didn't commit crimes of violence.
HASNIE: So, Bret, we're told that A.G. Garland is aware of Senator Cotton's letter tonight but so far it's been radio silence from the DOJ and from the U.S. Attorney's office in Minneapolis. Bret?
BAIER: We'll keep following it, Aishah, thank you.
