While the headlines of bloggers evaluate the news that Rubio’s Campaign Press Secretary is the daughter of Fox News VP, Bill Sammon, the crafter of the GOP debate questions, they seem to have missed a point.
While Fox News had a direct conflict of interest – so did Rubio!
With Brooke Sammons tweeting extensively about Rubio’s purported ‘win’ at the debates, and Cruz making the statement that he was being unfairly and unequally attacked by the questions posed to him – Rubio skated. In fact Christie even stated that the questions seemed to be unfairly targeting Cruz while Rubio seemed overly cocky, his answers potentially rehearsed. When responses are too clean, too sharp, too rehearsed, the hairs on my back begin to prickle…
Could Sammon have given the questions to his daughter, Brooke Sammon, so that Rubio could craft answers before the debate?
Definitely a possibility. Sammon has a history and it isn’t all good.
To add fire to the furnace, apparently, the pollster, Frank Luntz, who was asked to air results of the debate immediately afterward is also connected to Rubio. Luntz was hired by Rubio in 2012 to write “100 Innovative Idea’s for Florida’s Future”. Luntz tweeted and tallied and splurged in his raving reviews of Rubio while cashing in on the frenzy. While these relationships should be revealed for their conflict of interest, they weren’t and the silence didn’t just run through Fox News – it ran through Marco Rubio. And that does not bode well for an honest, God driven, man of integrity.
While Fox News purports to be unbiased, this is a rather disingenuous move with one motive – bump up Rubio in the ratings, and attack Cruz and Trump. If it is discovered that Rubio had access to the debate questions beforehand, that could mean the end of his campaign. But the ideal of unbiased is a rock laden road for Sammon who has been caught directing the opinion of his journalists on a number of occasions.
While it is not a media crime to be biased, most stations openly admit their view, others allude to it, and still others are bought out. But Fox’s claim puts each and every journalist into the limelight as they lose credibility with the knowledge that Sammon tells them what to say, what to think, what opinion to have, and who will win in an ‘unbiased format’. It’s like rigging a football game.
Could Rubio and Sammon find themselves in a legal pickle?
There are laws regarding “Ethics” under the US Office of Government Ethics Statute 18 USC; 201 – 209 which detail the code of conduct of all government employees. Conflict of Interest laws require ‘full disclosure’ – Rubio did not comply with that directive.
In addition, Florida has enacted very strict Ethics Laws with respect to past and present government employees and those running for public office. The purpose of these laws is to uphold faith and trust by the People in a government that is not beyond reproach. When that truth is violated, there are consequences in place.
While as a result of Sammon, Fox News may lose viewers, Rubio stands to lose his very core – his integrity as a Presidential candidate.