CA-25: Reporter on Katie Hill scandal promotes GOP candidates for her seat

Shortly after Rep. Katie Hill announced her resignation from Congress on Sunday night, the RedState reporter who published damaging allegations involving the Democratic rising star, along with a nude photo, was urging support for Republican candidates to win the seat.

“If you want to help us flip @KatieHill4CA's former #CA25 seat BACK to RED, please learn more about @MikeGarcia2020 and contribute to his campaign at http://ElectMikeGarcia.com!” tweeted Jennifer Van Laar, a deputy managing editor at RedState.

Later, Van Laar suggested that she’d back former Congressman Steve Knight if he decided to run for the seat he lost to Hill in 2018. “He has integrity, cares about the individual, and is a policy wonk,” wrote Van Laar, who noted working for Knight’s 2014 campaign. “I'd be #TeamKnight again in a heartbeat.”
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Van Laar’s views, like RedState’s leanings, are no secret: She’s worked in Republican politics and the site is conservative, as is its owner, Salem Media Group. But Van Laar’s shift from reporting on Hill, and publishing what some have deemed “revenge porn,” to promoting Republicans for Hill’s old job is a blurring of roles that would be unacceptable in mainstream newsrooms.

In the days leading up to the 2018 election, Van Laar wrote an op-ed on why she supported Knight in his race against Hill, and in July, she praised a Republican who at the time was planning to run against Hill in 2020. “Hanging out with our future Congresswoman Suzette Valladares today!” she wrote, along with hashtags such as “#runsuzetterun” and #savecalifornia.”




https://www.politico.com/news/2019/10/28/reporter-katie-hill-scandal-gop-060576