Congressman-elect Allen West says he never suggested on a radio show earlier this month that the government should ‘censor’ media organizations for publishing the Wikileaks documents.
Instead, the Florida Republican said in a statement provided to The Daily Caller that he used the word “censure,” meaning to formally reprimand the news organizations.
“It has never been my intent to quiet or censor the press or anyone for that matter utilizing their right of freedom of speech granted to them under this country’s great American Constitution,” West said.
West elaborated that he “meant censure” in the context “that the media should be harshly criticized for printing the damaging documents Assange has released which so clearly puts our soldiers and country at risk. ”
A number of outlets picked up on West’s Dec. 7 radio interview on the “African American Conservatives” program after ThinkProgress’ Lee Fang published the audio on Tuesday.
West was reported to have said by ThinkProgress that: “I think that we also should be censoring the American news agencies which enabled him to be able to do this and then also supporting him and applauding him for the efforts. So that’s kind of aiding and abetting of a serious crime.”
Listen to the audio here.