Tapper criticizes Georgia House candidates for blocking reporters

CNN’s Jake Tapper blasted the candidates in Georgia’s special House election on Tuesday for reportedly barring critical journalists from attending campaign events. 

“A grand display in Georgia of bipartisan petulance and thin skin, where politicians hide from challenging questions,” Tapper said on the air just a few hours before polls closed. “Whoever wins tonight, it will be a politician whose campaign barred a reporter for asking tough questions.” 

“And if you can’t take tough questions, maybe Washington isn’t the place for you,” he added. 

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Brent Scher, a reporter for the conservative Washington Free Beacon, wrote on Twitter Monday that he had been barred from attending an event for Democrat Jon Ossoff. 

Scher had previously written articles criticizing Ossoff’s candidacy and platform, as well as the fact that the Democrat does not actually live in Georgia’s 6th Congressional District, where he’s running to fill the House seat of now-Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price.

Ossoff’s campaign pointed out that Scher had attended numerous campaign events for the candidate, but said he was intimidating volunteers and taking photos of campaign documents at the Monday event.

Kira Lerner, a political reporter for the left-leaning Think Progress, said on Monday that Ossoff’s opponent, Republican Karen Handel, had similarly blocked her from attending campaign events. 

“My day in summary: Asked @karenhandel about unpopular health care bill. Got blocked from Handel campaign events,” Lerner tweeted.

My day in summary:

Asked @karenhandel about unpopular health care bill.

Got blocked from Handel campaign events https://t.co/0Zi7onNXFb

— Kira Lerner (@kira_lerner) June 19, 2017

Handel’s campaign said the reporter had been allowed to attend campaign events throughout Monday, and was given the opportunity at those events to ask questions.