October 30th, 2024
By Wendell Husebø
North Country Public Radio (NCPR), a disgraced taxpayer-funded NPR affiliate, interfered in the 2024 election, House Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY) alleged Tuesday.
NCPR “sent out false information and spread misinformation about early voting locations targeting voters in my district to suppress the vote,” Stefanik posted on X.
Stefanik explained the allegations that appear to be impacting residents of Saratoga County, New York:
This is blatant and illegal election interference. They falsely smeared me for legally voting early in person at one of Saratoga county’s early vote locations which is eligible for ALL residents of Saratoga County. While candidates of both parties are working hard to educate all voters of early in person voting locations in their county, this disgraced (and lazy) outlet falsely claimed I did not and could not vote for myself. FALSE. I just cast my #NY21 ballot with my name on it. We have received calls into our office of confused voters due to this desperate election interference by an NPR affiliate. Here are the facts: The Town of Saratoga is in #NY21 and my name is on your ballot. NY voters are eligible to vote at any early vote location in your county.I humbly ask for your vote. And I will DEFUND NPR!
NPR’s budget is subsidized nearly 11 percent by taxpayer funds.
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Many NPR affiliates have a history of attacking conservatives and Republican lawmakers. It is not the first time Stefanik caught the taxpayer-funded media outlet red handed.
In 2023, NCPR’s Emily Russell published an article claiming the congresswoman inaccurately suggested the administrative state is weaponized against taxpayers and unaccountable to voters. A senior adviser to Stefanik, Alex DeGrasse, ripped Russell and her outlet for perpetrating “sexist” attacks on the congresswoman while “lying” to its readers.
In 2022, NCPR’s David Sommerstein suggested Stefanik was responsible for the attack against Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul. “@RepStefanik denounces violent political acts. But her day-to-day rhetoric may contribute to it. An important thread from @zdhirsch who’s reported on Stefanik all year for @ncpr,” Sommerstein tweeted.
Stefanik pushed back against the accusation and noted NCPR has never mentioned how Democrat rhetoric could have influenced the shooting of Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA), along with never reporting on Rep. Maxine Water’s (D-CA) comments about how citizens should get in the face of Trump administration officials.
In 2021, North Country Public Radio’s former News and Public Affairs Director Martha Foley used her taxpayer-funded email account to campaign for Democrats against Stefanik, according to emails obtained by Breitbart News. “Taxpayer-funded disinformation outlet NCPR, caught unlawfully sending emails supporting Democrat candidates, continues their strange, sexist obsession with lying about Elise Stefanik,” DeGrasse said.
