WHCA president: White House asked organization to publicly criticize reporter

By HADAS GOLD 07/10/2017 10:02 PM EDT Updated 07/10/2017 10:40 PM EDT

The White House asked the White House Correspondents' Association to single out a reporter and criticize an article, WHCA President Jeff Mason said Monday evening.

Mason's comments were made at a WHCA town hall where White House reporters pose questions to the WHCA board.

"The White House has come to ask me specifically, asking me to intervene or criticize a news organization or a reporter… to release a statement criticizing a reporter’s story," Mason said, declining to elaborate further on when the ask was made or about what article.

Mason said he declined to do so and that "we’ve made clear that’s not our role.”

Asked after the panel if the request was part of a new White House team learning how the WHCA works, Mason said he wasn't sure but didn't think so and that the White House clearly thought it was WHCA role to publicly chastise the reporter.

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http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-media/2017/07/10/trump-white-house-reporters-mason-240383