On Thursday, California Democratic Party chairman Eric Bauman resigned the position after allegations of sexual misconduct arose last week. The accusations were serious, with the state party vice chairman leading the charge for Bauman’s outer. But from when the story first broke last Saturday to Bauman’s resignation, the broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) couldn’t be bothered to report any of it during their morning or evening news programs.
This wasn’t the first time the broadcast networks had ignored or downplayed sexual misconduct allegations for the Democrats. Back in May, they spent a combined 13 minutes on a Stormy Daniels story and paid zero attention to Democratic Congressman Tony Cardenas (again from California), who was accused of fondling a then 16-year-old girl while she was being transported to a hospital for medical treatment.
In other examples, the networks identified Missouri Governor Eric Greitens as a GOP “rising star” that fell to Earth when the allegations against him broke, but didn’t like labeling current-inmate and former Congressman Anthony Weiner as a Democrat. ABC also failed to label former New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman as a Democrat when he was accused of beating his girlfriends. But where they failed on Thursday, Fox News Channel filled in the gap.
“Bauman announced his decision late this afternoon, just hours after Governor-elect Gavin Newsom called for him to step aside,” reported Fox News anchor Bret Baier during Thursday’s Special Report. “Bauman released a statement saying he’s come to the realization that resigning is in everyone's best interest including those he may have caused pain and for the good of the Democratic Party.”
Part of what made the allegations unique and something the national media should have picked up on, was that they came from state party Vice Chair Daraka Larrimore-Hall.
“A former aide to Governor Gray Davis, Bauman is known as a political kingmaker, blunt, and combative. But these allegations come from the party's vice chairman who claims to have spoken to victims and the potential witness,” reported Fox News national correspondent William La Jeunesse on Tuesday.
In his Saturday letter to California Democrats calling for Bauman to resign (which La Jeunesse read from), Larrimore-Hall said: “I believe the victims....Their stories illustrate a clear and escalating pattern of the Chairman Bauman's horrific and dehumanizing behavior and lead me to conclude that Mr. Bauman must no longer serve as our party chair.”
Reporting from The Sacramento Bee from Saturday went into greater detail of the some of the allegations against Bauman:
Daraka Larimore-Hall, the second vice-chair of the party, on Friday filed paperwork to initiate Bauman’s removal. In a letter sent to the party and reviewed by The Bee, he charged that he had learned of multiple incidents in which Bauman “sexually harassed, and in some cases sexually assaulted, individuals during Party functions.” Larimore-Hall said he had spoken with two victims and a witness whom Bauman allegedly intimidated.
In an article published Thursday, The Bee noted that Governor-elect Newsom came out strong against Bauman after reading an L.A. Times piece “which reported that Bauman frequently made explicit remarks to both male and female staffers about their sex lives and bodies and that he touched them in ways that made them uncomfortable…”
In ending his report on Tuesday, La Jeunesse noted how they “reached out to various Democratic lawmakers and political consultants to comment on Bauman’s alleged behavior, but none wanted to talk about the powerful party boss…” Perhaps the liberal networks refused to cover it for similar reasons.
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
Fox News Channel’s Special Report
November 29, 2018
6:24:23 p.m. Eastern [26 seconds]BRET BAIER: Speaking of California. California Democratic Party Chairman Eric Bauman is resigning following sexual misconduct allegations. Bauman announced his decision late this afternoon, just hours after Governor-elect Gavin Newsom called for him to step aside. Bauman released a statement saying he’s come to the realization that resigning is in everyone's best interest including those he may have caused pain and for the good of the Democratic Party.
Fox News Channel’s Special Report
November 27, 2018
6:31:10 p.m. Eastern [2 minutes 7 seconds]BRET BAIER: The head of the Democratic Party in California is on the sidelines tonight. Eric Bauman has stepped down while he is under investigation for sexual harassment. National correspondent William La Jeunesse has specifics from Los Angeles.
[Cuts to video]
ERIC BAUMAN: I'm not just the chairman of the Democratic Party, I live just a few blocks from here.
WILLIAM LA JEUNESSE: The powerful chairman of California’s Democratic Party, Eric Bauman stepped aside Monday after allegations of sexual harassment. "I take seriously any allegation brought forward by anyone who believes they have been caused pain,” Bauman said in a statement. “A prompt, thorough, and independent investigation of the allegations has been undertaken."
BAUMAN: We have to re-engage by putting up a blockade, by take back the House of Representatives, and fight like hell to take back the Senate.
LA JEUNESSE: A former aide to Governor Gray Davis, Bauman is known as a political kingmaker, blunt, and combative. But these allegations come from the party's vice chairman who claims to have spoken to victims and the potential witness. "I believe the victims,” Daraka Larrimore-Hall said in a letter to the party. “Their stories illustrate a clear and escalating pattern of the Chairman Bauman's horrific and dehumanizing behavior and lead me to conclude that Mr. Bauman must no longer serve as our party chair."
Bauman gained national attention in August when he called on California to boycott In-n-Out burger because it’s owners donated to the state Republican Party.
JOHN CHADWICK (In-n-Out customer): This is a nice California institution, there’s no reason to boycott them I don’t think.
LA JEUNESSE: Consumers ignored the boycott but voters apparently bought his political message, Democrats regained a super majority in the statehouse and are poised to win 46 of the state’s 53 congressional seats.
Sexual harassment allegations are not new to Sacramento, nine lawmakers faced allegations of misconduct in the last two years.
[Cuts back to live]
We reached out to various Democratic lawmakers and political consultants to comment on Bauman’s alleged behavior, but none wanted to talk about the powerful party boss who remains on leave pending the investigation. Bret.
BAIER: William, thank you.
