By Valerie Richardson - The Washington Times - Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s claim that the “corporate media” are attempting to rig the 2020 Democratic presidential primary appeared to receive a boost Tuesday from Project Veritas.

A hidden-camera video released Tuesday by the guerilla journalism organization showed a CNN media coordinator saying that the cable network’s powers that be “don’t like Tulsi Gabbard.”

“I think the one they don’t like is Tulsi,” said CNN’s Christian Sierra in the video. “They don’t like Tulsi Gabbard. Because she supports [Syrian President Bashar] Assad and she is not taking the conventional route when it comes to foreign policy and stuff like that.”

The video came as the second in the Project Veritas #ExposeCNN project, in which former CNN satellite technician and contractor Cary Poarch secretly recorded network staffers as well as CNN Worldwide CEO Jeffrey Zucker.

Last week, Ms. Gabbard said she was “seriously considering” skipping Tuesday’s 2020 Democratic presidential candidates’ debate, to air on CNN, citing what she described as efforts to “hijack” the race by the Democratic National Committee and “corporate media.”

“The DNC and the corporate media are trying to hijack the entire election process,” Ms. Gabbard said in an Oct. 10 video. “So in order to bring attention to this serious threat to our democracy, and ensure that your voice is heard, I’m seriously considering boycotting the next debate on October 15.”

She later said she would attend the debate, sponsored by CNN and the New York Times, at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio.

In the hidden-camera video, CNN’s Sierra said that the Hawaii Democrat was “actually pretty liberal. But when it comes to that one position, I think there are a lot of people who are not cool with her.”

Staffers were also shown discussing which candidates CNN did like.

“I think they like Warren a lot,” said Mr. Sierra, adding that “they like to cover the people who are at the top,” which could be said of most media outlets.

In a discussion about why CNN didn’t cover rallies held by former Vice President Joseph R. Biden or Sen. Elizabeth Warren, media coordinator Nick Neville said it was because Biden rallies are “boring,” adding, “People would change the channel.”

While CNN media coordinators are not reporters, Project Veritas also released video of a man identified as CNN senior justice correspondent Evan Perez saying that “Joe Biden has a problem” with his son Hunter Biden’s business dealings in China and Ukraine.

“Joe Biden has a problem. Because his son was trading in name,” said Mr. Perez in the video. “It looks bad. It smells bad.”

He added: “It’s not illegal. There’s nothing illegal about it,” even though “you’re benefiting from your father’s name.”

So far CNN has ignored or dismissed the Project Veritas investigation. CNN spokesman Matt Dornic said Monday that there was “really nothing to comment on.”

In 2017, Ms. Gabbard stunned Democrats by meeting with Bashar al-Assad without informing them first, prompting Sen. Kamala Harris to call her an “Assad apologist” at the Aug. 1 debate, which Ms. Gabbard denied.

Asked by CNN’s Chris Cuomo to denounce the Syrian strongman she said, “I’ve never defended Assad,” arguing that she opposes U.S. military involvement in Syria.

Ms. Gabbard has polled well enough so far to make the debate cuts but has been unable to mount a challenge to front-runners like Mr. Biden, Ms. Warren and Sen. Bernard Sanders.

• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.

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