The New York Times (NYT) refused to run an op-ed from Republican South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott in 2020 without Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer’s approval, former editor Bari Weiss claimed Wednesday.
Scott reportedly submitted an op-ed promoting police reform legislation that he introduced in June 2020, but NYT leadership buried it, Weiss told the senator during his Wednesday appearance on her podcast, “Honestly With Bari Weiss.” A former editor for the NYT’s opinion section, Weiss resigned from newspaper in July 2020, alleging that she was subject to “unlawful discrimination” and workplace bullying over her political views.
She stepped down just one month after Editorial Page editor James Bennet resigned in the wake of a staff revolt focused on his decision to publish an op-ed by Republican Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton.
“There was a discussion about the piece and whether or not we should run it. And one colleague, a more senior colleague, said to a more junior colleague who was pushing for the piece, ‘Do you think the Republicans really care about minority rights?'” Weiss claimed.
“And the more junior colleagues said, ‘I think Tim Scott cares about minority rights.’ And then, and here’s the pretty shocking part, the more senior colleague said, ‘Let’s check with Senator Schumer before we run it,’” she continued.
Today, South Carolina @SenatorTimScott makes the case that the American dream is alive and well.https://t.co/3Enhaicfjf
— Honestly with Bari Weiss (@thehonestlypod) August 10, 2022
The piece was ultimately shelved, with Weiss adding that the younger editor refused to reach out.
NYT did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller’s request for comment on the matter.
“I am disappointed to hear that. I am not surprised to hear that,” Scott responded. The first black Republican senator from the South since Reconstruction, Scott has spoken about facing racial profiling from law enforcement officials. (RELATED: Sen. Tim Scott Responds To Racist Attacks: ‘They Are Literally Attacking The Color Of My Skin’)
“You have to remember that The Washington Post fact-checked my life, and I can’t tell you how disrespectful and dishonoring that entire process was. That went on for three or four months as they went through records to find out whether or not my grandfather actually dropped out of school in the third grade,” he said, referencing an April 2021 fact check alleging that Scott’s family was wealthier than he has claimed.
“Their records suggest he actually dropped out in the fourth grade, but still didn’t learn to read. They wanted to know if I had somehow hidden my silver spoon and just was using a plastic spoon instead. And the more they dug the more they realized that there was no evidence that disproved the fact that I am who I say I am,” Scott continued.