In face of criticism, Lawler rescinds press ban at his Congressional Town Halls
Chalk up a victory for the free press.
Faced with criticism by good government groups, media organizations, and his political opponents, U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler, R-Pearl River, has rescinded the press ban at his congressional Town Hall meetings.
The decision came in a press release emailed to certain news outlets on Friday evening at 6:30 p.m., a time when politicians typically make statements they'd rather not highlight.
Lawler, who imposed those restrictions in 2023, said in the statement that he instituted the ban to limit grandstanding and criticism about the congressman and his policies.
He said keeping the press out was a way to make his town halls "as hospitable and welcoming as possible to my constituents."
The media-savvy millenial didn't want to go viral.
“The goal was to prevent these town halls from being hijacked by out-of-district political grandstanders desperately searching for a viral clip, and instead geared toward hearing directly from constituents with serious questions or concerns,” Lawler wrote. “Upon reflection, while well-intentioned, these rules could have been explained and implemented in a better way.”
That improved implementation basically scraps the ban.
Lawler, a Rockland County political consultant-turned-congressman, touted his successful working relationship with the press. He noted interview requests granted to media in television, radio, podcasts and print, with "more interview requests from the press than many of my colleagues in the state of New York."
The action follows critical reports by The Journal News/lohud, News 12 and The Examiner News on the barring of photojournalists and reporters who didn't live in the 17th District from his Dec. 17 Town Hall meeting at Westlake High School in Thornwood.
New rules for 2024
Moving into 2024, when Lawler will be seeking a second term, credentialed members of the press, regardless of their residency, will be allowed to report on the events, as long as they register with Lawler’s staff.
More: Lawler continues media ban: Journalists kept from Congressional Town Hall in Westchester
Cameras and recording devices will also allowed, with a press gathering arranged following the event to take questions from the media. Still in place will be a ban on out-of-district attendees who are not members of the press.
Lawler in 2023 had banned journalists from The New York Times, News 12, and The Journal News/lohud from Town Hall meetings that were open to constituents from the 17th Congressional District.
The district includes Rockland and Putnam counties, Westchester north of White Plains, and a sliver of southern Dutchess.
The online registration form for the events stated the town halls were “closed press,” though Lawler’s staff allowed reporters who lived in the district to attend, with the proviso that they were prohibited from recording the session or taking pictures. I live in the district, so I was allowed into the Dec. 17 event, though Soule requested that I keep what I heard “off the record.”
I did not.
'About more than journalism'
Journalists, like other attendees of the Town Hall events, were threatened with expulsion if they recorded the event.
“This is about more than journalism,” said Carrie Yale, executive editor of the Journal News/lohud. “It’s about the public’s right to know what their elected officials are saying about the issues of the day. We want to move forward in good faith and hope that Congressman Lawler does the same.”
News reports in local publications on the Town Hall press bans raised public awareness of Lawler's exclusion of journalists at his public events, said Ellie Dougherty, of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
“It took multiple bad headlines and public outcry for Mike Lawler, a darling of national cable TV, to reverse his press ban at local events," she said.
Citizen activist Lloyd Trufelman of Katonah, a member of the grassroots group Take17, welcomed Lawler’s decision.
“I’m glad he has decided to respect the First Amendment and allow the media to cover his town halls,” he said. "After all, a fully informed electorate is vital for a healthy democracy.”
Trufelman had reached out to Common Cause NY, the statewide "good government" group that subsequently called on Lawler to drop the ban in November, before his Town Hall at Rockland Community College. He sent my coverage of the Lawler town halls to the bookers at dozens of cable television news shows, including at CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News, where Lawler often appears.
More: Mike Lawler loves cable TV, but his rocky relationship with the local press draws scrutiny
Common Cause NY Executive Director Susan Lerner praised the activists for raising the issue.
“An engaged public is an important factor in defending our democracy,” said Lerner. “The public discussion of public policy and any elected accountability is dependent on the public actually knowing what is going on and what positions an official is taking. It’s important that elected officials are consistent in their public and private statements on important issues of policy.”
Lawler's likely opponent in the November election, former Rep. Mondaire Jones, D-Sleepy Hollow, also thanked the citizen activists who raised the issue.
“Mike Lawler doesn’t deserve any kudos for this policy change and doing what he should’ve been doing all along – allowing press at his taxpayer-funded town halls,” said Jones. “I am proud to have run a congressional office that prioritized transparency and accountability and always allowed press at my town halls.”
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David McKay Wilson writes about tax issues and government accountability. Follow him on Twitter @davidmckay415 or email him at dwilson3@lohud.com.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Rep. Lawler rescinds press ban at Congressional Town Halls in 2024
