Michelle Fields, Ben Shapiro Resign: ‘Frustrated’ ‘Breitbart News’ Staffers Quit Over Trump Flap
In the latest developments involving Breitbart News, two more staff members suddenly resigned. Michelle Fields and Ben Shapiro, reporter and editor-at-large, respectively, have quit their employment with Breitbart over the company’s mishandling of the allegations surrounding an assault on Fields by the manager of Donald Trump’s campaign.
BuzzFeed said its sources reported the resignations of Ben Shapiro and Michelle Fields after the pair informed Steve Bannon, chairman of Breitbart News, on Sunday night. Fields told sources she was frustrated over her employer’s lack of empathy and support over her assault at the Trump event.
“Today I informed the management at Breitbart News of my immediate resignation. I do not believe Breitbart News has adequately stood by me during the events of the past week and because of that I believe it is now best for us to part ways.”
Michelle Fields, Ben Shapiro have resigned from Breitbart News https://t.co/WPGQAW4C8G pic.twitter.com/3teIjOKxXW
— CNNMoney (@CNNMoney) March 14, 2016
While Fields’ statement of resignation was rather simple, Shapiro offered an extended explanation. He opined that current management “sold out” and undermined the heritage of the company’s founder.
“Andrew’s [Breitbart] life mission has been betrayed. Indeed, Breitbart News, under the chairmanship of Steve Bannon, has put a stake through the heart of Andrew’s legacy. In my opinion, Steve Bannon is a bully, and has sold out Andrew’s mission in order to back another bully, Donald Trump; he has shaped the company into Trump’s personal Pravda, to the extent that he abandoned and undercut his own reporter, Breitbart News’ Michelle Fields, in order to protect Trump’s bully campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, who allegedly assaulted Michelle.”
Michelle Fields & Ben Shapiro Quit Breitbart, Shapiro Trashes Company on Way Outhttps://t.co/vJPnANIZV6#Trump pic.twitter.com/pa50wTVYb0
— TheRalph (@TheRalphRetort) March 14, 2016
Fields attended a Trump press conference in Florida last week. While attempting to get near the Republican presidential hopeful and front-runner for a question, someone — allegedly Trump’s handler — roughed her up in the process. Fields admitted she didn’t see her assailant, but a Washington Post reporter implicated Lewandowski. Fields posted images of bruises to her arms on Twitter. The Daily Beast posted a video that purportedly confirms Field’s account.
Ahead of Michelle Fields and Ben Shapiro’s resignation, a story published by Breitbart struck a chord with employees of the media outlet. It appeared biased towards Fields’ statement of the alleged assault while seeming to align with denials of Trump’s camp over the incident.
Insiders say senior editor-at-large Joel Pollak issued a directive for staffers to stop tweeting about the incident and supporting Fields until they can gather more information. His reasons: the reporting could jeopardize others.
Later, a statement released by Breitbart CEO Larry Solov appeared to minimize Field’s report of the assault, according to all three staffers who resigned.
“It’s obviously unacceptable that someone crossed a line and made physical contact with our reporter. What Michelle has told us directly is that someone ‘grabbed her arm’ and while she did not see who it was, Ben Terris of The Washington Post told her that it was Corey Lewandowski. If that’s the case, Corey owes Michelle an immediate apology.”
The news of Fields and Shapiro’s resignation comes on heels of another associate’s sudden departure from the embattled media group. According to an earlier report by the Inquisitr, Breitbart spokesperson Kurt Bardella stepped down days ago after the fallout over the media outlet’s alleged handling of the reported Lewandowski assault.
“He came out swinging today against his former employer, going as far as to say he could not support an organization that lies and isn’t backing its reporter, Michelle Fields. Fields was allegedly assaulted by Donald Trump’s campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, when he roughly pulled on her arm Tuesday night at a press conference in Florida, leaving bruises. Fields has since filed misdemeanor battery charges with the Jupiter Police Department, despite denials from the Trump campaign about the incident, and witnessed by reporter Ben Terris of Washington Post, the assault is currently under investigation by Jupiter police.”
During an interview with CNN’s Don Lemon, Bardella confirmed prevailing speculation of Breitbart News’ pro-Donald Trump agenda. The communications professional “had harsh words” against his former employer.
Reportedly, the resignations of Fields, Shapiro, and Bardella don’t represent the end of the crisis; more staffers are gearing up to quit the organization over the fallout. Sources say the Trump incident was not the impetus for the low morale, but it laid the groundwork for others to leave over already strict rules on reporting and rules of departure.
This story is developing.
[Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images]
