Housing and Urban Development (HUD) official Lynne Patton reportedly sought approval late last year from federal ethics officials to take a leave of absence and film a reality TV show focused on black Republicans, including prominent Trump supporters.
In an October memo reported by The Washington Post on Friday, Patton requested guidance from HUD officials on whether she could have a two-month unpaid leave of absence in order to film a “docuseries” about black Republican women, and questioned who would be able to cover her travel expenses surrounding attendance at President Trump’s rallies under ethical guidelines.
{mosads}But Patton’s request was denied on ethical grounds, the Post reported, citing two unidentified sources at HUD.
Patton, a longtime ally of Trump — who himself helmed a successful reality TV show at NBC for years — disputed the officials’ characterization of events, telling the newspaper that she eventually declined to pursue the opportunity.
“I love my job. My sole priority are the residents of New York and New Jersey, especially the residents of NYCHA,” Patton told the Post. “This is not about money. I could make 10 times the amount writing a book about a fraction of what I know. This is about me honoring my commitment to the American people. If the producers are truly interested, they’ll figure out a way to make it work without me having to compromise my own principled mission.”
She added that the show was pitched to her as a similar venture to Showtime’s “The Circus,” which follows newsmakers and current events, and not as a “table-flipping” reality spectacle.
A spokeswoman for Truly Original, the production company behind the venture, told the Post that the show was intended as “a deep look into a faction of African Americans who happen to be Republican — their point of view and why they chose to take a position that is not typically the majority position politically.”
Patton garnered broad attention on Wednesday after appearing at a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing as a show of support for the president as his former longtime lawyer and “fixer” Michael Cohen testified against his onetime boss, casting him as a “racist” and “con man.”
“Michael Cohen knows I know the truth and the truth is that it doesn’t take 15 years to realize somebody is a racist, unless of course, they are not,” Patton, who is black, told Hill.TV on Wednesday after appearing at the hearing.
Her appearance became the subject of controversy after Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) argued that Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) had brought her to use as a “prop” in support of the president, which Tlaib had called a “racist act.”
Patton later pushed back on Tlaib’s comments.