Pool Reporter Denied Access By Clinton Campaign

David Martosko

The Clinton campaign denied access to the designated print pool reporter in New Hampshire Monday morning.

David Martosko of DailyMail.com was told by Hillary for New Hampshire staffer Meredith Thatcher that he was not approved for Monday's pooled events.

When Martosko asked Thatcher to phone her boss, Harrell Kirstein, he was again told that he had not been approved by the campaign.

Martosko pressed further and asked Thatcher if he was being prohibited from getting on either of the pool vans, to which she replied; 'I'm afraid that's right.'

When he asked why, she responded; 'All I know is what Harrell has told me. I got an email saying the print pooler would be changed for today. Sorry.'

Martosko then spoke with Clinton press aide Nick Merrill for 10 minutes and learned that the campaign would not be allowing the designated print reporter to cover Clinton today. Merrill offered varied and contradictory reasons for this decision, according to Martosko.

Keeping Martosko from the event highlights a major complaint voiced by reporters covering Clinton’s campaign. Many have said that the campaign prohibits access to the Democrat and that she rarely takes questions from reporters.

Martosko has been one of the more vocal pool members speaking out about the campaign’s tight grip on the press. On Saturday, after Clinton re-launched her campaign during a speech in New York, Martosko posted a tweet criticizing how other reporters have covered the event.

It's truly astonishing how many journalists at the @Hillaryclinton speech today reported exactly, and only, what the campaign wanted them to

— David Martosko (@dmartosko) June 14, 2015

 Martosko appeared on Monday’s edition of The Kelly File on FNC and recounted how the campaign prevented him from doing his job, effectively selecting their own coverage. “The Clinton camp does not get to choose who covers them,” he said. “This is something we’ve seen in other countries that we don’t want to emulate.”


The Daily Mail reporter suggested that, after initially confirming him as the day’s pool reporter, the Clinton camp changed their mind because of his organization’s “dogged” reporting that sometimes presents the Democratic candidate in a negative light.

Tom's Take:  Maybe Martosko should make a donation to the Clinton Foundation.