STATE OF VERMONT
115 STATE STREET
DRAWER 33
MONTPELIER , VT 05633-5201
May 17, 2007
Roger Ailes
Chairman and CEO
Fox News Channel
1211 Avenue of the Americas
New York , NY 10036
Dear Mr. Ailes:
Last week, a media crew dispatched by the Fox News program “The O’Reilly Factor” confronted a member of the Vermont General Assembly in the Statehouse cafeteria. The incident was witnessed by several members of the Legislature and later reported on the O’Reilly program. The news crew asked misleading questions that deliberately mischaracterized Vermont
The Vermont Legislature has a long history of being open and accessible to all who wish to participate and observe, and has always recognized and granted access to the press to perform its important role. However, the tactics employed by the producers of this television program are unacceptable and have no place in Vermont Vermont
As the leaders of the Vermont Legislature, we condemn in the strongest terms these hostile tactics and stand with our colleagues in the Legislature in support of the Chair of the House Judiciary Committee.
If it was the goal of your producers and Mr. O’Reilly to create a reaction among your viewers that would lead to intimidating threats against our colleague, they succeeded. Because of your program, Chairman Lippert has received numerous threats of personal injury and physical violence from your viewers.
If, on the other hand, it was Mr. O’Reilly’s goal to intimidate the Vermont Legislature into considering ineffective and misguided legislation or to weaken the Legislature’s steadfast support for our colleague, your tactics had the opposite effect. We hope the bipartisan opposition to your channel’s tactics of intimidation will serve as a reminder that while Vermont
Sincerely,
Gaye Symington Peter Shumlin
Speaker of the Vermont House President Pro Tem, Vermont