Marsha Blackburn: Local Media Outlet Astroturfs Sham ‘Town Hall’ Organized by Radical Left Activists

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) blasted the Chattanooga Times Free Press Thursday for reaching out to comment to her about a “sham townhall” that was organized by — and will be hosted by — radical left activists.

“It is absurd that the @TimesFreePress would reach out requesting comment on a sham ‘townhall’ that is being organized by radical left wing activists without disclosing that one of the organizers is a former reporter at the same outlet,” the Tennessee senator wrote.

She added, “Political stunts like these are why trust in the media is at an all-time low.”

A reporter from the Times Free Press reached out to Blackburn’s team asking if Blackburn plans to attend the town hall hosted by Democracy in Action, a leftist organizing group. The reporter noted that Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN) were also invited. 

The local outlet published its piece on Friday, portraying the event as a “town hall” for Blackburn, Fleischmann, and Hagerty, even though none of the lawmakers mentioned would attend the town hall, raising the question if the event is a town hall at all.

The Times Free Press claims that event is organized by Democracy in Action, a “nonpartisan” group, even though Allison Gorman, the event’s organizer, was an unsuccessful Democrat candidate for the Tennessee House of Representatives.

The local outlet did disclose in the piece that Judy Walton, a former reporter and editor at the Times Free Press, is one of the many organizers for the Democracy in Action town hall. However, the reporter did not disclose this in the comment request to Blackburn’s office.

Democracy in Action has held weekly protests about their elected officials, the Times Free Press wrote; however, the protests are thinly veiled leftist critiques of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

Blackburn frequently engages with her constituents, and highlighted her constituent casework, mail requests answered, county tours, and much more. Blackburn’s office calls every county for town halls.

The outlet proceeded to quote Jack Allen, a Democrat who ran against Fleischmann for his congressional seat, who will be moderating the allegedly “nonpartisan” event.

Gorman then claimed she did not hear about a tele-town hall with Blackburn or she would have attended.

Fleischmann’s Communications Director Justin Doil said in a statement:

Congressman Fleischmann always meets and talks with constituents, small business owners and employees, community groups, faith-based groups, activists and local media when he is not in Washington D.C. and enjoys the productive conversations he has with his constituents from Chattanooga to Oak Ridge about how best to represent East Tennessee’s values and priorities in Congress.

A Hagerty spokesperson said that Hagerty has traveled across the state to meet with constituents from all walks of life.

Republican lawmakers have accused many of the leftist protestors who have shown up at town halls and have erupted across many Republican districts of being “paid” by Democrats. To Blackburn’s office, this appears to be yet another such incident.

Breitbart

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