April Ryan backs out of Buttigieg interview: Campaign didn't mention 'venue would be a fundraiser'
CNN political analyst April Ryan on Friday withdrew from a scheduled interview with Democratic presidential candidate Pete ButtigiegPete ButtigiegScaled-back Pride Month poses challenges for fundraising, outreach Biden hopes to pick VP by Aug. 1 It’s as if a Trump operative infiltrated the Democratic primary process MORE, saying his campaign failed to mention that the event venue would be a fundraiser.
“I agreed to interview Pete Buttigieg this weekend – the campaign was not clear that the venue would be a fundraiser. We’ll be rescheduling the interview to a more appropriate time/place,” Ryan, who is also a White House correspondent for American Urban Radio Networks, wrote on Twitter. “Looking forward to asking him the tough questions the AURN audience wants answers to.”
I agreed to interview Pete Buttigieg this weekend – the campaign was not clear that the venue would be a fundraiser. We’ll be rescheduling the interview to a more appropriate time/place. Looking forward to asking him the tough questions the AURN audience wants answers to.
— AprilDRyan (@AprilDRyan) October 18, 2019
Tickets for the fundraiser with the South Bend, Ind., mayor cost as much as $500. The event will be held Saturday in Washington, D.C.ADVERTISEMENT
Promotion of the event was first noted by @PolPartyTime, a Twitter account managed by OpenSecrets, a group that tracks political fundraisers. The Buttigieg campaign and American Urban Radio Network did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A CNN spokesperson directed The Hill to Ryan’s tweet.
Tomorrow, there will be a grassroots fundraising event for @PeteButtigieg in Washington DC.
Tickets range from $15 up to $500 pic.twitter.com/g4gjamVoGk
— Political Party Time (@PolPartyTime) October 18, 2019
In September, Buttigieg invited Ryan to be his guest at a Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) dinner.
“Thank you @PeteButtigieg for inviting me to be your guest at the CBC Dinner. The last time I was invited to the dinner by a presidential candidate was @barackobama. You know what happened after that!” she wrote on Twitter.
Thank you @PeteButtigieg for inviting me to be your guest at the CBC Dinner. The last time I was invited to the dinner by a presidential candidate was @barackobama. You know what happened after that! We also… https://t.co/ONias6pQg7
— AprilDRyan (@AprilDRyan) September 15, 2019
Ryan’s announcement on Friday came the same day the Buttigieg campaign said it will be removing former attorney Steve Patton as a sponsor of a Chicago fundraiser scheduled for later that day, The Associated Press reported.
Patton led an effort to block the release a video depicting the shooting death of Laquan McDonald, a black teenager in Chicago whose death by a police officer prompted months of protests that eventually ended in the officer’s conviction.
“Transparency and justice for Laquan McDonald is more important than a campaign contribution,” Buttigieg campaign spokesman Chris Meagher said in a statement. “We are returning the money he contributed to the campaign and the money he has collected. He is no longer a co-host for the event and will not be attending.”
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